


Wayward souls

by probablynotaduck



Category: BioShock
Genre: Abuse, Atlas is Not Frank Fontaine, Atlas is Real, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jack Needs a Hug, M/M, Temporary Character Death, vita chambers are still a thing so it's chill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-22 16:16:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14312478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/probablynotaduck/pseuds/probablynotaduck
Summary: Months after the death of Andrew Ryan Atlas finds Jack, who has been locked away by Fontaine. Determined to help Jack recover from Fontaine's abuse Atlas cares for him and looks for answers about just who Jack is.Self indulgent hurt/comfort piece I'm working on, I will try to update regularly.





	1. Chapter 1

Atlas’s feet pounded across the damp floor. Behind him he could hear shouts and alarms ringing. Cursing, he hefted his bag higher on his shoulder and kept moving. Stealing from Fontaine had its risks, but he had all the food and Atlas would be damned if the fucker starved him to death. Hearing the angry voices growing closer Atlas flung himself around a corner. 

There was a door to the side and he pulled it open. Shutting it quickly behind him Atlas surveyed his hiding place. A small dark room, it seemed mostly empty. There was a small bed against the far wall and a sack of something in the corner. Atlas moved quickly and crawled under the bed. He heard footsteps pass by the room. Holding his breath he waited until he could no longer hear any noise. He slid back out from under the bed and took a last look around the room. To his shock the sack from earlier had moved. He squinted against the dark at what appeared to be another person staring at him. Atlas slowly approached the figure.

“Easy.” He spoke quietly. “Who are you” The person scrambled backwards across the floor until they were pressed against the wall. Atlas stopped his approach. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He held his hands in front of him. “Did Fontaine put you here?” There was no response. “Listen, my name’s Atlas, and I’ll get you out of here.” He stood straight and held out a hand towards the cowering figure. Again there was no response. Atlas knelt back down in front of the figure. “Come on.” He touched the figures shoulder and tried to pull them up. He finally got a response. The figure whimpered and pulled away from him. 

“Alright.” Atlas pulled his bag firmly onto his shoulder and brought his arms around the figure. With a grunt he stood and hefted the person in his arms. They didn’t weigh very much, he realised as he held them. The figure whimpered again and squirmed a little, but didn’t make much effort to stop Atlas picking them up. Atlas moved quickly to the door and shoved it open with his shoulder. In the light of the hallway Atlas looked down at who he’d picked up. He appeared to be a man a little younger than Atlas himself. He was wearing a loose bloodstained sweater and a leather collar. Atlas cringed. The man’s face was covered in dried blood and bruises. He was looking around with wide eyes, squinting in the light.

Atlas tore his eyes away and began moving hurriedly down the hall. The man in his arms seemed to grow more distressed the further from his room they moved. He buried his head against Atlas’s chest and shook. Atlas tried to reassure the man but was much more focused on escaping before Fontaine’s men found him. Moving as quickly as he dared well still listening intently he slowly brought the two of them to his escape route. A bathysphere hidden behind multiple obstacles. Moving behind a fake wall into another hallway and balancing on rickety boards over large gaps Atlas let out a sigh of relief and entered the bathysphere. Setting the man down on the cracked leather seat he pulled the lever to take them back to safety. 

Now that they were out of harm's way Atlas moved over to closer inspect the man he had pretty much kidnapped. He was curled up in the same position Atlas had left him in. He had a black eye and several bruises on his left cheek. Small cuts and scrapes littered the rest of his face. A ratty blood stained sweater covered his chest and arms. His legs stuck out from under the fraying bottom edge. Like his face they were covered in bruises and cuts. Red marks streaked down his thighs. Atlas winced in sympathy. He looked pretty bad. Atlas moved closer to look at the collar the man was wearing. It was brown leather with a name written on it in silver. 

“Jack?” The man looked at Atlas in fear. “Is that your name?” There was no further response. Atlas sat on the bench a few feet away from the man. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He tried to keep his voice calm and unthreatening. “My name’s Atlas. You’re safe now.” The man, Jack, curled in on himself and shut his eyes. The rest of the ride was spent in silence. When the bathysphere docked Atlas stood and turned to Jack. “We’re here. Do you want me to carry you or do you want to walk?” He hadn’t expected a response so he wasn’t surprised when he didn’t get one. Atlas picked Jack back up and carried him out of the bathysphere. 

They emerged into a dimly lit street. Burned out street lights stood tall and menacing over blood stained pavement. Several yards down the ceiling lowered into an arch and beyond that the streets were lined with tall apartments. Atlas moved forward at a calm pace. They were safe here, this was his territory. He felt Jack shift to see the street. That was good. He’d begun to worry there was nothing left of the man to save. Atlas took them between the looming buildings and took many twisting roads further into the heart of the buildings. Finally he stopped in front of a run down apartment. On one side stood rows of more houses. On the other a building had collapsed and the rubble blocked the rest of the passageway. Parts of the building had fallen sideways and several metal beams stuck into the walls of the building next to it. 

Atlas walked up to the apartment door and entered a code. The door slid halfway open and stuck. With a sigh Atlas shoved it the rest of the way with his foot. Stepping inside the dimly lit apartment he headed to the stairs and moved carefully upwards, avoiding the holes and rotten parts. Exiting the staircase at the third floor Atlas carried Jack through an open door and into one of the apartments. Walking past the kitchen and through the living room and bedroom, Atlas finally stopped and set Jack down on the tiled floor of the bathroom. Leaning over the tub to turn on the warm water Atlas smiled. 

“Now boyo,” He crouched down next to Jack. “We’re going to get you cleaned up alright?” He kept a smile on his face and tried to seem nonthreatening. “Let’s find who ever’s hiding under all that dirt.” Jack stared up at him and didn’t seem to understand. “Cmon.” Atlas reached forward and took the bottom of Jack’s sweater in his hand. Jack’s breath sped up and he pulled away, pressing himself against the side of the bathtub. “It’s alright.” Atlas kept his voice calm and slow. “It’s alright.” Atlas tried again to remove the sweater. Jack squeezed his eyes shut and flinched but did nothing to stop the garment from being lifted over his head. He kept limp as Atlas guided his arms out of the sleeves. 

With the sweater out of the way Atlas moved to unfasten the collar around Jack’s neck. A dark ring of bruises covered his neck below it. Atlas winced in sympathy and lifted Jack carefully into the tub. He seemed shocked when he came in contact with the warm water. Once he was fully lowered in Atlas leaned back to give Jack a little bit of space as he adjusted. The tub was large enough for Jack to sit comfortably with his legs outstretched, though he chose to hug them to his chest. Clawed feet that had once been painted gold held the tub up from the floor. Atlas had chosen a fancier apartment to hide out in. 

Jack sat in the warm water and watched Atlas warily. He sat straight up, tense and uncertain. Atlas moved away to pick up a cloth from the cabinet, feeling Jack’s eyes on his back the entire time. He returned and kneeled next to the tub. 

“Now I’m not going to hurt you.” He reminded the frightened man, “I’m just gonna get you clean so I can see how badly you’re hurt.” Jack just stared at him with wide eyes. Atlas sighed and dipped the cloth into the water. Wringing it out a bit he gently began to scrub at Jack’s back. Jack immediately tensed up even more and leaned forward, away from Atlas’s hand. 

“It’s alright.” Atlas tried to reassure him. He put his second hand on Jack’s shoulder to hold him still. “It’s alright, it’s all alright.” He kept whispering calming phrases as he brought the cloth to Jack’s back. Jack held still this time and Atlas was able to began removing the layers of blood and dirt that coated his back. Once his back was as clean as it could get Atlas switched to Jack’s front. Cleaning all the way down to his navel Atlas hesitated and then moved on to his face. Jack scrunched his eyes and tried to lean away from Atlas, but he coaxed him and held his shoulder until he was clean. Once that was done Atlas moved to Jack’s arms.

Reaching for Jack’s arm Atlas stopped to look at the ink design on his wrist. A tattoo of a chain stretched horizontally below his hand. Atlas frowned but didn’t ask. Jack didn’t trust him and even if he did, he didn’t seem like much of a talker. Washing Jack’s other arm Atlas discovered an identical tattoo on his other wrist. Not wasting time thinking about it he moved on to Jack’s legs below the knees. Finished with that he sighed and straightened up.

“Alright boyo, do you want to do the rest yourself?” Jack looked blankly ahead, not seeming to understand. Atlas swallowed again and felt himself flush. “Okay,” He whispered, “you can do this.” Atlas gingerly began to finish washing Jack. Doing his best to be gentle. The minute he reached near Jack’s crotch Jack started shivering and crying, shaking his head back and forth. Atlas immediately retreated. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” He squeezed Jack’s shoulder, hoping the gesture would provide comfort. “I just need to clean you.” He frowned and looked Jack over. “I suppose sitting in the water’s gotten you decent enough.” He stood and walked back to the cabinet on the far side of the room. Pulling out a towel that had once been white and fluffy he returned to Jack. Atlas set the towel down and then leaned over to pick Jack up. Jack began to struggle but stopped when he was set immediately on the ground. 

“Here now.” Atlas wrapped the towel around Jack’s shoulders and began to start drying him off. Rubbing him down slowly Atlas tried to be as gentle as possible with the towel. He moved to Jack’s hair and made a mental note to try and clean that at some point. For now he thought Jack needed to be done feeling scared. When Jack was suitably dry Atlas wrapped him back in the towel and scooped him up. Jack tensed but remained still. Atlas moved out of the bathroom and back into the adjoining bedroom.

Jack was deposited on the bed and Atlas turned his attention to the wardrobe. Rummaging through worn and wrinkled clothes he silently thanked Rapture for not having any moths. Finally he emerged with a large light blue button up shirt, plaid pajama pants and a pair of underwear. Turning back to Jack Atlas froze. 

Jack was clutching the towel around him and silently crying. He looked terrified. Atlas ran back to him, not certain what was wrong. Jack flinched and moved away from Atlas until he was pressed up against the head of the bed. He shook his head over and over while tears streamed down his face. Atlas reached out and grabbed Jack’s shoulders. Jack was completely tensed up. His breathing was shaky as Atlas sat on the bed next to him, holding him still. Jack shook a bit and Atlas could hear him sniffling. 

“You’re safe. You’re safe.” Atlas chanted softly, “I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe. You’re safe.” Slowly, Jack calmed, his tears subsiding. Atlas caught his eye and smiled in reassurance. When Jack was mostly calm Atlas showed him the clothes. “Let’s get these on you, alright?” 

Jack made no move to take the clothes and Atlas hadn’t really expected him to. Atlas took the underwear and helped Jack slide his legs into it. Pulling it up was a bit awkward with Jack ragdolled as he was, but finally Atlas moved on to the pants. They slid easier, being baggy and soft. When Jack was finally dressed Atlas sat back and smiled in satisfaction.

“There we are. Now wait here, I’m going to get some bandages.” Now that Jack was clean it was easier to see the extent of his injuries. A few open cuts and scratches on his face and arms. Bruises and scars everywhere, but Atlas couldn’t do much about that. There was one large cut on his back that had Atlas worrying. None of them seemed to be very threatening however. Returning with bandages and some disinfectant Atlas sat back on the bed. Jack watched him with wide eyes as he reached to put a few bandaids on Jack’s face and arms. He smeared disinfectant onto the gash on Jack’s back and wrapped bandages around it. Deciding that Jack was as patched up as he would get Atlas picked the shirt back up. He wrapped it around Jack’s back and gently guided his arms into the sleeves. Buttoning the shirt Atlas could feel Jack’s eyes on him. Once the shirt was buttoned he leaned back and climbed off the bed. 

“You should get some sleep.” Atlas peeled the blankets back and patted the mattress he’d exposed. Jack stared at him and then slowly moved to lay in the space provided. Atlas smiled and brought the blankets back down to cover Jack. “You go ahead and sleep. I’ve got to check on some things.” Atlas turned and moved back into the living room. He picked up his bag from where he’d dropped it on the way in. Moving to sit on the lumpy couch he looked through what he’d gotten from Fontaine. 

A good number of canned goods. Peaches, beans, sardines, and some other canned meat. He’d also grabbed some cakes. His best score was the untouched bottle of vodka. He’d certainly enjoy that later. For medical supplies he’d gotten some aspirin, vitamins and bandages. He’d found two packs of cigarettes which he’d taken. He’d also gotten a few boxes of bullets for his pistol and one box of shotgun shells. Pleased with his looting, Atlas moved into the kitchen to sort and store everything. Canned food in one cabinet, cakes and snacks in another. The vodka went next to instant coffee packets and bottles of soda. Meds took their place next to cure alls and pain killers. Bandages on the shelf below that. Bullets stayed with the rest of the weapons in the living room. He moved back to the living room to put them away. 

When he was done with all that Atlas snuck back into the bedroom where he’d left Jack. He was pleased to see Jack was asleep, curled up under the blankets and breathing peacefully. He smiled and moved past the bed to the wardrobe. Pulling out an extra blanket he silently retreated back to the living room. Laying himself down on the couch he pulled the blanket over himself and shut his eyes. 

Lying alone with his thoughts Atlas rolled to his side and tried to get comfortable on the old couch. He wasn’t too pressed for supplies, but now he had to feed someone else. Who knew when the last time Jack had eaten was. What had happened to Jack, he wondered, to make him so afraid. Whatever it was Atlas silently promised to keep Jack safe from now on. It seemed like Fontaine had hurt Jack even more than he’d hurt Atlas. At the thought of what Fontaine had taken from him Atlas frowned and felt a pang of sadness in his gut. His entire identity stolen away. Atlas rolled over onto his back and tried to clear his mind. Whatever had happened to Jack could be dealt with in the morning. For now he needed sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atlas tries to learn more about Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two is up! A brief disclaimer, I started writing this as a coping mechanism when I was hospitalized, because of this all of Jack's experiences here are based on my own personal anxiety. If something doesn't make sense or if you feel I am portraying things insensitively please let me know. Feedback is super appreciated! Thanks for reading!

Jack woke with no idea where he was. Warm and comfortable, he knew something was not right. Opening his eyes slowly he took in first the blankets, and then the painted ceiling. He sat up and looked around the room. A wardrobe stood tall and imposing across the room from him. On his left a door stood open leading to a bathroom. To his right another open door, this one opening into what looked like a living room. 

Jack’s memory began to return as he fought sleep from his mind. The man, Atlas, who had come and taken him. The same voice that had guided him over the radio. The voice that had betrayed him, hurt him. Atlas was a monster, but now he was promising safety. He had brought Jack away from Fontaine, but. No that was wrong. Atlas was Fontaine. Jack shook his head in confusion. He didn’t understand what was happening. Still, Atlas hadn’t hurt him yet. 

The sound of movement in the other room had Jack scurrying off the bed and pressing himself against the wall next to the wardrobe. Footsteps entered the room with him. Atlas. Jack shook and tried not to breathe too loudly. It was stupid, he thought, to hide from someone who hadn’t hurt him. But Atlas had hurt him. Atlas had hurt him worst of all. How could he trust this man who claimed to want to help? Before Jack could decide if he should come out or not a pair of feet appeared in front of him. 

Jack looked up at Atlas and shook a little. Atlas was smiling again and he sat down across from Jack. Atlas’s smile didn’t look like Fontaine’s smile. Atlas’s smile looked like he was happy to see Jack. Fontaine’s looked like he was planning to do something nasty. Jack liked Atlas’s smile much better. 

“I was coming to see if you were awake yet.” Jack focused back on Atlas. “Do you want food?” Jack froze. He really did want food, it had been days since he’d last eaten. On the other hand food always came with a price. There was never an easy meal. Jack shuddered when he thought of what Fontaine had made him do to eat. He looked at Atlas uneasily before slowly nodding. Atlas seemed pleased. That was good. If he could keep Atlas happy he was less likely to hurt him. Atlas held out a hand to him. Jack flinched and Atlas could feel his heart breaking.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He promised again. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Jack pulled away from the wall and stood shakily. Using a hand to steady himself he was able to straighten up almost all the way. He remained partially hunched, a small protection incase Atlas changed his mind about being kind. Atlas turned and led Jack into the kitchen. Jack took in his surroundings with wide eyes. It wasn’t much bigger than his room had been, but it was so much brighter. A cracked ceiling light illuminated the living room and a tall lamp stood in one corner of the kitchen. The living room window was boarded over but a tiny amount of light came from the kitchen window, which looked out into water.

Atlas pulled one of the three chairs out from the table. “Go ahead and sit.” He looked at Jack. Jack sat hesitantly, watching Atlas. Atlas still made no move to hurt him. Instead he moved to a cupboard on the wall and pulled out a can. Coming back he presented Jack with the open can of peaches. “It’s not exactly a balanced breakfast, but it’ll do.” Jack looked up at Atlas and waited for some sign of what to do. Atlas pulled out a second chair and sat adjacent to Jack. “I’ve already eaten, so go ahead.” Jack swallowed and felt his heart speed up. Was it really okay to eat this? He knew there would be a price, there always was. He didn’t want to go through that. Not now, when he actually felt good. He’d slept in a real bed, and he’d bathed. He felt almost human again. 

Jack was startled out of his thoughts by Atlas standing. He walked to the wall with cupboards but this time he opened a drawer from lower down. Returning to Jack with a spoon in hand Atlas sat back down and set the spoon in front of Jack next to the can. Jack stared at the spoon, willing himself to move and pick it up, to eat. He couldn’t. He couldn’t move. Jack frowned and scrunched his face, feeling tears of frustration building up. It was stupid that he couldn’t just pick up a spoon and feed himself. It was pathetic, he was pathetic. It was the same with his voice. He knew he could speak if he wanted, he just couldn’t. Before Jack could stop himself he let out a choked sob. He was so stupid. He couldn’t do something as easy as eating. He brought his hands up to cover his face and felt more tears escape his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Atlas sounded concerned but Jack couldn’t bring himself to look. He felt a hand on his shoulder and pulled away in fear. He was crying harder now, this was all so stupid. He was broken down crying over eating peaches. Pathetic, stupid, freak. He knew he wasn’t properly human, but he had hoped he could at least act like one. Atlas treated him like one and Jack had so desperately hoped it would stay that way. It was selfish, he knew, to hide the truth from Atlas and trick him into kindness, but that wouldn’t matter now. Now Atlas could see how pathetic he was. He’d hurt Jack, for being stupid and loud, and Jack would deserve it, even if he wished Atlas could go on being kind. 

He felt Atlas touch him again and this time he didn’t pull away. It was better to stop pretending like things would be alright. He waited for Atlas to move, for the hand on his shoulder to strike him. Instead he felt Atlas’s other hand come to rub slow circles on his back. Through the pounding in his ears Jack heard Atlas speaking to him. 

“It’s alright Jack. It’s alright. Christ, it’s gonna be okay. You’re safe. You’re safe it’s okay. It’s gonna be alright.” He didn’t sound angry, just sad, and that broke Jack’s heart even more. He was making Atlas sad.This Atlas, who had shown him nothing but kindness. He was terrible. Jack squeezed his eyes tightly shut and decided to let himself be selfish. Atlas thought he deserved kindness and maybe for a moment, Jack could pretend he was right. He still didn’t understand why this Atlas didn’t want to hurt him but right now he didn’t care. He let Atlas hold him and refused to think about anything else. 

Eventually he stopped crying and Atlas pulled back to look at him. “Do you want to eat now.” Jack sniffled and nodded. Atlas sat back in his chair and waited patiently. Jack stared down at the spoon again and felt his anxiety resurface. He couldn’t do it. Tears welled back up in his eyes. Before he could break down again Atlas intervened. “Here.” He picked up the spoon and scooped a peach onto it before moving it to Jack’s face. Jack looked up at him, too startled to start crying. “Go ahead and eat.” Atlas nodded to him. Jack opened his mouth and let Atlas feed him. 

The peach tasted sweet, even if it was cold. Jack shut his eyes for a moment. He was hungry enough anything would have likely tasted like heaven but the peach was absolutely perfect. He opened his mouth to let Atlas remove the spoon. The second piece of peach tasted almost better than the first and Jack nearly smiled. He caught himself, reminding himself that this could still be a trap. He decided not to think about it and let Atlas feed him the rest of the peaches. All too soon the can was empty. Jack wanted more but didn’t dare ask for it. He wasn’t allowed to ask for things. Jack was startled out of his thoughts by Atlas’s voice.

“So, I don’t suppose you can talk?” Jack looked up at him, uncertain how to answer. He could speak, technically, but he didn’t like to. At this point he wasn’t certain he could. When he tried to speak it felt as though something crawled up his throat and stole the words away from him. He’d tried to speak a few times, when he was alone, but he hadn’t been able to. Deciding it would be the simpler answer Jack shook his head no. Atlas nodded and pursed his lips, thinking.

“Alright. I’m going to ask you questions and I want you to answer as best you can. Is that alright?” Jack nodded. “Good. Now the collar you were wearing said Jack. Is that your name?” Jack nodded. Atlas smiled. “Alright Jack. I found you in a room in one of Fontaine’s places, do you know who that is?” Again Jack nodded. “Is he the one that hurt you?” Jack didn’t like talking about this, but nodded again. “Bastard.” Atlas looked angry and Jack felt anxiety flare up. Had he said something wrong? 

Atlas took a moment to collect himself and think of his next question. Why did he hurt you would’ve been the best thing to ask, but he wasn’t sure how Jack could answer a question that wasn’t yes or no. He settled for trying to narrow things down.

“Did you work for him? Were you someone he got mad at?” Jack had to think about that one. He hadn’t worked for Fontaine in a boss employee type way, but he had done Fontaine’s dirty work. He didn’t think that was what Atlas meant though. He shook his head. Atlas nodded and resumed thinking. 

“Can you somehow explain why he hurt you? What are you to him?” Jack looked a bit overwhelmed by the question and Atlas mentally kicked himself for not choosing something easier to answer. He was about to tell Jack to forget the question all together when Jack moved and held out his arms to Atlas. Atlas looked at him, not understanding. Jack took one hand and pointed to the other hands wrist. Atlas looked at it. A tattoo of chains. Jack moved his other arm to show that he had the same tattoo there. Atlas remembered seeing them the previous night, but not thinking much of them.

“What’re those?” Atlas wasn’t really expecting an answer. “Is that why he hurt you?” Jack nodded. It was the best answer he had for Atlas’s question. The tattoos marked him for what he was. Less. He was a slave, as Ryan had put it. He had no choice. Atlas looked a bit confused but nodded. He decided to move to a different topic.

“Do you know who I am?” Jack didn’t answer right away. He had known Atlas, his friend, a husband, a father, a revolutionist. But Atlas hadn’t been real. None of that was true. This Atlas seemed like the Atlas he had known, but he couldn’t be the same person. Not unless this whole thing was a trick, and Jack desperately wanted it to be real. He decided to go with no. He didn’t know who this Atlas was.

Atlas nodded and thought of how best to explain himself. “I’m an enemy of Fontaine’s.” He decided not to mention the civil war with Ryan, best to stick with the common enemy and not stray into politics. “Fontaine stole my identity and locked me away. Course, I escaped, but not before he’d turned the city into a hellscape. Ryan’s dead and Fontaine has complete control of everything.” Jack winced and nodded. It was his fault. But what about what Atlas had said, that Fontaine had stolen his identity. Could the Atlas Fontaine pretended to be be the same as the Atlas talking to him now. Two people with the same identity? 

While Jack mused Atlas tried to think of more questions. He couldn’t come up with any that could be answered easily without the use of words. Deciding to stop the questions for now Atlas looked back at Jack. He was far too pale, even for a rapture citizen. A bit of sun would do him some good. Unfortunately they’d have to settle for artificial light. Atlas stood from his chair and held out a hand to Jack.

“Let’s go for a walk. It’ll be nice to be out.” Jack eyed the offered hand warily and stood up on his own. Wrapping his arms in front of his chest he mutely followed Atlas as he lead Jack to the door. “See if any of the shoes fit you.” Atlas gestured to several pairs of shoes, haphazardly strewn across the ground. Jack felt panic rising again. He stared down at the shoes. Some of them looked like they might fit, but- He couldn’t do it. He tried to make himself crouch down and try on a pair but he couldn’t move his legs. This was so pathetic. He couldn’t feed himself, he couldn’t put on shoes. He wished he could just go away. He was aware of Atlas crouching in front of him, but it felt like someone else's experiences, like he was detached from it all. 

“Would you please sit down for me?” Jack flinched at the words. It was too close to that horrible phrase. Still, he forced himself to at least sit down. Atlas took his foot and slid a shoe onto it. It was a little big on him, but it would do. Once there was a shoe on both feet Atlas looked up at Jack. His eyes looked glazed and he was crying again. 

“It’s alright.” Atlas tried to reassure him. “Something horrible happened to you. Recoverings going to take you time.” Jack blinked and looked at him, seeming to come back from far away. Had he made Atlas sad again? He hadn’t meant to. It was just so hard. He was a freak, weak and useless. Atlas stood back up and offered Jack his hand again. Jack looked at the floor and stood up on his own. “Let’s go outside.” Atlas smiled hopefully.

Outside the apartment Jack took in his surroundings. The first time he’d been here he’d been hiding his face and panicking. Now he took in the tall apartment structures and paved street with wide eyes. It was so open, nothing like his room. Of course he knew there was more to the world than the confines of his room, but it had been so long that he was awed all the same. He barely even noticed the corpse hanging from one of the windows and the piles of trash and debris lining the street. When he was done looking at everything Jack turned back to Atlas, unsure of where to go. Atlas took his cue and began walking off down the open street.

Jack followed Atlas through the winding street, past dark alleys and broken windows. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them, but Jack didn’t notice. He kept his arms in front of him as a sort of shield, but made sure to be alert, this was rapture and anything could happen. Splicers could ambush them any second. Atlas didn’t seem concerned, but Jack could see he had a gun with him. A smart move, Jack thought, he just hoped it would be enough. Still as they walked nothing moved. 

Jack soon grew tired and fell behind Atlas. They hadn’t gone very far but he was still weak, despite being fed, and his back was starting to ache. He stopped to catch his breath and reached out a hand toward Atlas’s back. He couldn’t touch him, but Atlas must have noticed that Jack was no longer moving. He turned back to face him, looking concerned. 

“Everything alright boyo?” Jack pointed back the way they came, hoping Atlas would understand. “You want to head back?” Atlas took in his appearance. “Tired?” Jack nodded. Atlas smiled and moved back to him. “Let’s go home then.” 

The walk home was just as uneventful as the rest of the excursion, even if it took a bit longer. Jack refused Atlas’s help, flinching away from his offered hand. They made it back and Atlas lead Jack back to the bedroom. Jack tensed. Was this where things changed? Was this where Atlas showed what he really was. He’d let Jack sleep in peace on the bed last night, but who knew if that would change now. In Jack’s experience a bed wasn’t something that came free. Sleeping on a bed meant someone else would be there. Meant someone would touch you and hurt you. Jack shut his eyes and tried to block out the memories. He nearly screamed at the hand on his shoulder, stumbling back and opening his eyes. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Atlas looked apologetic, “I just thought you should lay down for a bit.” He gestured to the bed. “I’ve got a project I’d like to get back to, so you should sleep. You’re still wearing pajamas anyway.” He laughed. Jack looked down. The clothes he wore were very soft and comfortable, he certainly wouldn’t mind sleeping in them. Atlas pulled the blankets back on the bed and then straightened. He moved to the doorway and addressed Jack over his shoulder. “I’ll be out for a bit, don’t be afraid to eat something well I’m gone.”

Jack watched him leave before sitting back on the bed. He let out a breath he hadn’t even realised he’d been holding and let himself relax, kicking the shoes off and leaning back onto the pillows. He heard the door open and close again and finally felt the last of his tension leave him. If he was alone it meant no one would hurt him. He wanted to trust Atlas, he really did, but he couldn’t. Atlas wasn’t real. This had to be a trick. It would all come crashing down soon enough and he’d be put back in his room and left alone in the dark. Jack shut his eyes and curled up on the bed, pulling the blankets around him. He might as well enjoy the comfort while it lasted.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Atlas's perspective of things, plus soup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this far. The comments and kudos are super appreciated! The next chapter might take a bit longer since I've got some stuff coming up but I have no plans to abandon this story.

Atlas strode confidently through the empty streets. He’d cleared out nearly all the splicers in the area and any that were left knew to avoid him. If they did attack he had a pistol tucked at his hip. He never travelled too far from home base but it was good to not stay cooped up, it kept him from feeling trapped. Besides, on one of his wanderings he’d found something incredible, a bathysphere designed to go to the surface. It wasn’t working, but he hadn’t let that bring down his spirits. Everyday he worked on fixing it. He didn’t really know what he was doing and he definitely didn’t have all the materials he needed, but he didn’t let that stop him either. Working solely with scrap metal and whatever else he could find he was determined to fix whatever was wrong with it.

At first he’d just collected supplies, bits and bobs of whatever looked useful, but then he’d found a manual. It had been water damaged but inside a compartment he’d popped open in the sphere was a manual on upkeep and maintenance. It had felt like a miracle, he was sure he’d shouted some exclamation of joy. The book used words he didn’t understand and some of the diagrams were badly damaged so it was slow going, but little by little the sphere was becoming sea worthy. Often he found himself wishing he’d done labor in Hephaestus instead of the fisheries, then some of the terminology might’ve come easier to him. As it was he struggled his way through it, guess work and luck combining with trial and error. 

Today he had no specific goal in mind other than looking it over, making sure everything was still there. He didn’t want to be gone for too long with Jack waiting for him. The poor kid was so scared of everything. Course, Atlas thought, he was hardly a kid. Jack looked to be a young man and had the appearance of someone who had once been quite strong. Malnourishment and neglect had done a number on him. His fearful state and inability to take care of himself led Atlas to think of him as younger, which he thought might of been rude, but he didn’t dwell on it. Something horrible had happened to Jack. Correction, Fontaine had done something horrible to him. Atlas grit his teeth. 

Fontaine was a right bastard. He’d imprisoned Atlas for God only knew how long, and when he’d broken free Fontaine had complete control of Rapture. Atlas never thought he would miss Ryan, but anything was better than Fontaine. Atlas swore he would throttle whatever idiot killed Ryan. He knew Fontaine didn’t do his own dirty work. That had all been over a month ago, since then he’d been scavenging food and supplies, occasionally making raids of areas Fontaine had people in. That was risky, but it was also where the best supplies were. He’d been on one such raid when he found Jack. 

All his thoughts seemed to return to Jack. He shook his head to try and clear it. He needed to focus or he could be ambushed. Just because there weren’t a lot of splicers didn’t mean an attack was impossible. Still, he hoped Jack was alright, hoped he was resting. By the time he made it to the bathysphere dock his mind was full of worries about Jack. What was that kid doing to him? He shook his head again and began taking inventory of what he had and what he thought he needed. 

While he counted screws he worried Jack wouldn’t be there when he got back. What if he decided to leave? He was definitely afraid of Atlas, but would he leave? Of course, he was free to leave if he wanted, Atlas wouldn’t keep him a prisoner, but the kid couldn’t keep himself alive out in Rapture. He’d be killed by the first splicer he came upon. Worried about Jack, Atlas worked quickly, sorting through what he had and what he needed. He hadn’t found anything on his last raid, he’d only just gotten food when he found Jack and that had cut the whole thing short. Finally finished taking inventory, Atlas packed everything away and began hurrying back.

He had to wonder if Fontaine would be pissed when he found out Jack was missing. Atlas wasn’t important to him anymore so he hadn’t spent a lot of energy trying to find him. Jack, Atlas wasn’t sure about. Then again, the door to Jack’s room had been unlocked. That part was strange to him. Had Jack just been too scared to leave? It didn’t make sense. Maybe he’d ask Jack about it when he got back. The closer he got to home the more worried he was. Had Jack left? Worse yet, had Fontaine sent someone to find Jack? Rounding the last corner Atlas’s nerves got the better of him and he found himself sprinting the last few yards.

Entering the apartment Atlas slowed himself and tried to be quiet. He had suggested Jack sleep after all. Creeping across old floorboards Atlas poked his head into the bedroom. He didn’t immediately see Jack and he almost panicked but the sound of soft breathing stopped him. On closer inspection Jack was curled up in the mound of blankets on the bed. If it weren’t for the black eye he would have looked almost peaceful. Atlas smiled and silently berated himself for worrying so much. He’d only known Jack for a day, why was he so attached? 

Atlas settled down on the couch and allowed himself some time to rest. He’d found a copy of The Little Prince and had been reading it to pass the time. It was a nice escape from the constant life or death battle of Rapture. He was distracted from his reading by the sound of shifting in the other room. Glancing up he saw Jack watching him. Jack saw Atlas looking at him and quickly moved his gaze away, staring at his lap. With a soft chuckle Atlas stood and crossed to the bed. Jack visibly tensed as he got closer and remained staring into his lap. 

“Did you sleep well?” Atlas wasn’t really sure what else to say. There was no response from Jack. “Mind if I sit?” He didn’t wait for an answer this time, just sat on the edge of the bed. Jack glanced up at him but remained silent. They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes while Atlas racked his brain for something to say. He was saved by Jack’s stomach, which let out a growl. “Are you hungry?” Atlas smiled. Jack paled a little and seemed to clench up, looking almost ashamed of needing to eat. 

“It’s alright.” he frowned. “You're allowed to be hungry. Or, I mean, you're allowed to eat.” he stumbled over his explanation. “C’mon, let's get you some food.” 

Jack looked up at him with distrust. He wanted food, sure, but he didn't want it bad enough to risk getting hurt. Still, he wanted to trust Atlas. He really wanted to trust Atlas, wanted Atlas to be real. With some reluctance he nodded. His stomach shared it's approval with another groan. Atlas seemed pleased with his choice at least. He turned off towards the kitchen, glancing back to make sure Jack was following him. Jack slowly got out from under the covers. It was cold, and he missed his sweater. Slowly, he shuffled after Atlas.

Once in the kitchen Atlas set about pulling out bowls and a can. Tomato soup this time. It would be cold, but there wasn’t much they could do about that. He had no safe way to contain a fire. He opened the can and poured two bowls of it. Setting them on the table he pulled out the chair for Jack before sitting himself. Jack sat in the chair looking ready to flee at a moments notice. Atlas wondered what it would take for Jack to trust him. Of course he would need time, but did he really still think Atlas would hurt him at a moment's notice. It stung a little.

Jack stared at the soup, telling himself that this time he could eat on his own. For sure, he could do it. He picked up the spoon and froze. As much as he wanted to just take a bite of soup, he couldn’t make himself go through the motion. He snuck a glance up at Atlas, who was pretending not to be watching him. Jack silently cursed himself and tried to will the spoon to move. Nothing happened and he could feel himself tearing up again. He was such a crybaby. Why did Atlas bother trying to help him? 

Atlas intervened before things got worse and took the spoon from him. He scooped up a bite and held it to Jack’s mouth. Jack’s shoulders slumped and he opened his mouth. He’d been so sure he could do it. He’d wanted so badly to be able to do just this one thing for himself. Fontaine was right about him, he was a worthless freak. His thoughts were interrupted by Atlas trying to hand the spoon back to him. 

“Do the next bite yourself.” He looked encouraging. Jack stared at him. Did Atlas really think he could do it? It was pointless, he couldn’t. He couldn’t even do something this simple. But, he could try. Slowly, Jack took the spoon back from Atlas. Closing his eyes he took a breathe and moved his hand. He didn’t open his eyes to see how much soup he had actually gotten, he just brought the spoon slowly to his mouth. He stopped. The spoon was right there in front of his mouth, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t make himself eat the soup. Angry, he thrust the spoon back into the bowl with much more force than was necessary. 

“That’s alright. You did good Jack.” Jack looked up at Atlas. He seemed pleased, but what was there to be pleased about? He stared in confusion but Atlas really seemed genuinely pleased with what he’d done. “You can try again you know. Just because you couldn’t quite do it doesn’t mean it’ll never happen. Just breathe Jacky. Just breathe.” Jack looked up at that. Jacky. It was nice, he decided. He liked it. Focusing on Atlas’s instructions he breathed, trying to calm his heart to normal. When he felt like he was ready, he tried again. 

Picking the spoon up was okay. Getting a spoonful of soup felt a little overwhelming, but he did it. As he brought the spoon to his face he felt his chest getting tighter and tighter. For just a second he stared at Atlas, silently asking for help. Atlas nodded at him encouragingly and Jack turned back to the soup. He took another breathe and moved the spoon into his mouth. For a second he didn’t realise he’d done it. Then he slowly took the spoon out and swallowed the soup. It was cold, and it bit watery, but to him, it tasted like a victory. 

Atlas threw his arms around Jack who immediately stiffened. “You did it!” He pulled back. “I’m sorry for scaring you but you did it! I’m proud of you Jack.” Jack stared at him and suddenly the whole thing struck him as silly. All he’d done was eat a single bite of soup. Still, he nodded at Atlas’s praise. It had been a long time since someone praised him. He wasn’t sure if Atlas’s false praise when he’d first arrived in Rapture counted and he couldn’t remember anything before that. 

Jack made himself take another bite. It was still hard, but it got easier with every spoonful. Atlas finished eating much quicker but he didn’t complain. He just sat and let Jack take his time eating. By the time the bowl was empty Jack had to admit it felt good. He’d been able to do this for himself. Even if it was such a small thing, it was nice. He set the spoon down with a sense of triumph.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse for how long it took me to update this. But hey, I finally got off my ass and wrote some more! As always, feedback is super appreciated.

The days passed uneventfully for them. They would go for walks, Atlas would do his best to fill the silence, they would eat. There wasn’t much else to do. Atlas still went to work on his project and left Jack to rest. Jack was still improving on eating. It wasn’t so scary anymore. He still didn’t speak, but he was okay with that, and Atlas didn’t push him. He’d ask him yes or no questions, and Jack would nod or shake his head accordingly. It was almost a comfortable routine. 

Everything was mostly okay until Jack started having nightmares. The first one came unexpectedly in the middle of the night. He was alone again. Alone in the dark. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. Where was Atlas? He could feel himself starting to panic. He stood up and was going to try to find a wall when he heard the laugh. He froze. 

“Lookin good kid.” Jack screamed. He couldn’t be here. This couldn’t be happening. “What? Did you think you were safe? Did you think Atlas would protect you? There ain’t no Atlas kid, never was.” Jack wanted to run but the voice seemed to come from everywhere. He sunk down to the ground and covered his ears. This couldn’t be happening, this couldn’t be happening. There was the laughter again and Jack screamed. 

Jack jolted awake and found himself tangled in the sheets. He tried to get free, he could still hear Fontaine in his head. He couldn’t breath. He fell to the floor and lay still, letting the blankets settle around him. He let himself cry then. Only a little, and only because no one else could see. He lay on the floor and silently cried himself back to sleep. When he woke again it was morning. 

Jack felt stiff from sleeping on the floor. He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. Everything was sore. He could hear Atlas moving around in the kitchen. He stood and put the blankets back on the bed. Atlas still slept on the couch every night, always making sure Jack could sleep comfortably. Jack appreciated it, and the idea of sleeping on the bed no longer scared him. He was safe here, at least safe enough to sleep on a bed. His nightmare was troubling though. 

Jack found Atlas in the kitchen and they ate together. The day passed relatively normally. The only highlight was during a meal. There was no schedule for when they ate, Atlas would just suggest that Jack should eat something and Jack would usually find that he was hungry. During one of these times Atlas leaned forward and touched Jack’s face. Jack immediately pulled away and stared at Atlas fearfully. Atlas held up his hands in apology. 

“You’re eyes getting better. It barely looks swollen now, I was going to check. Sorry.” Jack nodded to show he understood. “May I?” Atlas reached forward again. Jack held still this time and let Atlas touch around his eye. When Atlas pulled his hand away he nodded his approval. “Only a little bit of swelling. It didn’t hurt when I touched you, did it?” Jack shook his head. “That’s good.” Atlas flashed a smile and Jack felt pleased with himself for causing it.

By night Jack had all but forgotten his nightmare. He curled up in the bed and wrapped the blankets around himself. Cocooned in warmth he felt like no one could touch him. He fell asleep quickly and had hours of dreamless sleep.

Unfortunately the entire night did not pass this way. Atlas was woken in the early hours by a scream. He bolted upright and listened intently. Was it a splicer? Was it in the apartment? He heard the scream again and realised in was coming from the bedroom. Atlas raced in and saw Jack flailing in his sleep. He screamed again and Atlas grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Jack! Jack wake up! It’s just a dream.” Atlas shook Jack somewhat roughly and Jack’s eyes snapped open. He stared at Atlas for a second before screaming again and pulling away from him. Atlas held his hands up to show he was harmless.

“Look Jack. It’s just me. I won’t hurt you.” Jack stared at him, breathing quickly. Eventually his breath slowed to a reasonable level and he let Atlas put a hand on his shoulder. “Bad dream?” Jack nodded. “Do you want to talk about it?” Atlas cringed before he’d even finished the sentence. Jack just looked at him. “Sorry.” Atlas looked sheepish. “Let’s just get back to sleep. Jack nodded in agreement and Atlas stood to leave. “Will you be alright?” He looked over his shoulder in the doorway. Jack nodded again as he climbed under the covers. 

Come morning both of them felt the effects of waking in the middle of the night. Jack moved sluggishly. Atlas seemed alright, but even he was a little slow. They ate and walked and scavenged. Jack could make it much further on their walks now. He was recovering nicely. 

They found an entire fridge padlocked shut that day. Once they got it open they discovered it was full of bullets. A bit confused, but happy with the find none the less they took everything they could carry and hid the rest to come back for later. Atlas suggested Jack rest once they got back but he shook his head. He didn’t want any more nightmares. It wasn’t till an hour later that Jack realised the significance of what he’d done. He’d said no. It felt nice, he decided, to be able to say no. Maybe he’d do it more often. 

Unfortunately Jack couldn’t go forever without sleep. The next night he woke up in the morning filled with dread. He could only barely remember his dream but he knew it had been about Fontaine. He felt tired and sore. 

Stumbling into the kitchen he rubbed at his eyes and blinked tiredly. Atlas was already up and moving, as usual. He pulled down a can for Jack, beans this time. They never worried about when to eat what food. So long as it was filling it didn’t matter. Breakfast was just a word. 

“You sleep alright?” Atlas looked concerned. “More nightmares?” Jack nodded. Atlas pulled a chair out with his leg and sat next to Jack. “I used to get nightmares too. Still do sometimes.” Jack looked up curiously. What did Atlas dream about? He looked sad and far away. After a moment of silence Atlas seemed to come back to himself. He looked at Jack like he’d decided something important.

“Before Fontaine took over, there was a war. Do you know about that?” Jack wiggled his hand to say, only a little. Atlas nodded. “There was a sort of civil war. I tried to lead people against Ryan. Of course, it didn’t work, and Fontaine took my place before it was over. Still, even when I was in charge, a lot of people got caught up between me and Ryan. Innocent people got hurt. I was the one who set of the bombs at new year's.” Atlas looked at his feet. “I got people killed. Good people, who just wanted to celebrate with their families. I’m no hero Jack. Fontaine might be worse, but I’ve done some terrible things.” 

Jack stared at Atlas as he spoke. He looked sad and tired. Jack felt the sudden urge to hug him. This shocked him and he looked at Atlas, trying to understand. He clenched his fist a few times and then decided to stop thinking about it. Jack squeezed his eyes shut and leaned forward, hesitantly wrapping his arms around Atlas. 

He felt Atlas freeze for a second and he was about to pull away when Atlas reached up and pulled Jack closer. It was frightening at first. Jack was certain the contact would turn bad, but it never did. He squeezed his arms around Atlas. You’re a good person to me, he tried to say. You saved me. Jack wasn’t certain if Atlas understood but he kept hugging him. He didn’t know how long the hug lasted, too long and not long enough at the same time. When Atlas let go of him he was afraid to meet his eyes. What if he’d done something wrong? 

Jack forced himself to look up. He wasn’t sure exactly what he’d been expecting to see, but it certainly wasn’t Atlas crying. He was only barely crying. His eyes were shiny and a little wet. He was smiling though. A sad smile that broke Jack’s heart. 

“Thanks.” He wiped at his eyes. “I think I needed that. I’m glad you’re with me Jacky.” Jack smiled and Atlas’s eyes widened in shock. Jack immediately stopped smiling and whipped his head around, trying to see what had Atlas looking like that. 

Atlas laughed a little.“That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile boyo. I like it.” Jack looked back at Atlas. Was it really the first time he’d smiled since coming here. Atlas’s smile didn’t look sad anymore. He looked genuinely thrilled. Hesitantly, Jack smiled again. It was small and nervous but Atlas grinned at him and Jack felt his smile widening in return. Atlas leaned forward and ruffled Jack’s hair. “It’s nice to see you smile Jack. I haven’t seen anyone smile in a long time.”

The rest of the morning passed in high spirits. Jack was still tired but he wasn’t going to let that bring him down. He felt good. Atlas had trusted him with difficult information. He had hugged Atlas! He’d been terrified but he’d still done it, and he’d smiled! He hadn’t smiled in a long time. He wasn’t certain if he had smiled at all since coming to Rapture. Nightmares be damned, today was good. 

The day got even better when Atlas decided to let him in on something else. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up for nothing, but I think I’m really making progress.” Atlas told him about the bathysphere. About his plans to escape to the surface. Jack was thrilled. They had a way out. The day passed and Jack was forced to sleep again. That night, he slept peacefully. There were no nightmares.

The days passed in different ways. Some days were good. Some days Atlas got him to smile. It seemed that after seeing him smile once Atlas was determined to make him do it again. He’d crack jokes, give Jack compliments, and just smile at Jack to show him it was okay. It wasn’t always enough, but Jack found himself smiling more as the days went on. 

Some days Jack would remember that Atlas didn’t know who he was. That if Atlas knew who he was and what he’d done, he would hate him. Sometimes Jack thought about running away. Leaving Atlas to his life. He was always too selfish to do it. He wanted this to last as long as it could, even if he had to hide the truth from Atlas. Keep him from realising what Jack was.

Some days Jack was too scared to get out of bed. He didn’t even know what had him so frightened. Sure, Fontaine scared him, but he was safe here. Wasn’t he? No matter what he told himself Jack would still wake up screaming, trying to escape the hands that weren’t really there. Atlas would always go to him then. He’d hold Jack till he calmed, making sure Jack wouldn’t hurt himself in his flailing. They’d sit together. Sometimes Atlas would talk to him, tell him stories or talk about his plans for the future. Sometimes Atlas would stay silent, letting Jack breath listen to the stillness. 

There was one night Jack woke up without a nightmare. He looked around to see what had disturbed him and saw Atlas pacing in the living room. Jack sat up and watched him for a minute before walking over to him.

Atlas started when Jack approached. “Sorry Jack. Did I wake you?” Jack didn’t respond, instead he tilted his head curiously. Why are you awake? Atlas sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Just a dream boyo, don’t worry yourself.” Atlas looked sad, Jack decided. He wondered if it was one of the dreams he’d told Jack about. Dreams about the war with Ryan. Jack hesitated for a moment and then took Atlas’s hand. Atlas looked at him, shocked and a bit curious. Jack would let Atlas hold him but he almost never initiated contact. Jack began walking back to the bedroom, pulling lightly on Atlas’s hand for him to follow. He did follow, silently watching Jack. Jack sat on the bed and gestured for Atlas to sit beside him.

“What’re you up to boyo?” Atlas sat even as he questioned Jack. Jack leaned in and hugged him. It was a reversal of their usual roles. Atlas leaned into the hug and wrapped his arms around Jack in turn. They sat like that for quite some time. When Jack started yawning Atlas roused himself and pulled away.

“You should get back to sleep. I’ll be alright.” Jack shook his head. He climbed back to the head of th bed to lay down but then reached out and tugged at Atlas, pulling him back towards him. Atlas didn’t resist Jack and let himself be pulled down next to him. Once they were both lying down Jack pulled the blankets over himself and Atlas. Atlas looked over at Jack and smiled. He was a little mystified but he wasn’t going to complain. 

Jack released Atlas and lay awkwardly stiff in the bed. Wanting to help Atlas with a nightmare was one thing, but now that they were actually sharing the bed he was having second thoughts. He always fell asleep with Atlas still sitting on the bed next to him. He’d wanted to return the favor but now he didn’t know what to do. He was scared to touch Atlas. Scared things would become more than he’d meant them to be. Atlas, for his part, was lying still, waiting for a cue from Jack. He was content to fall asleep like this is that was all Jack wanted. 

A few long minutes passed and Jack didn’t seem any less worried. Atlas glanced at him from time to time but tried not to rush him. Finally he decided to intervene.

“You should get some sleep Jacky.” He felt he should still adress what Jack was trying to do for him. He reached over and lightly squeezed Jack’s shoulder. Jack’s shoulders tensed and Atlas mentally kicked himself for touching him with no warning. “Thank you.” He looked Jack in the eye. “It helped.” Jack’s smile was tiny in the dark, but it was still there. Neither of them had any nightmares for the rest of the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip back to Arcadia gets more exciting than originally planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone’s comments have absolutely made my day. You’re all such wonderful people! I rewrote this chapter multiple times so let me know what you think and I might make more changes.

Jack didn’t know how long it had been. Weeks he thought. It couldn’t have been a month yet. Time was hard to keep track of all the way below the ocean. Atlas had suggested Jack come with him to find supplies. 

“Just a quick trip. We’ll go somewhere relatively safe.” He’d handed Jack a gun, asked if he knew how to use it. Jack had nodded. He was good with a gun. He was good with all sorts of weapons. So now they were heading to the only working bathysphere Atlas had. Jack was nervous. He hadn’t left Atlas’s safe corner of Rapture since meeting him. What if they got ambushed? He knew he could take the splicers, that was no problem. He was worried some of the splicers might recognize him. What if they tried to take him back to Fontaine? What if they told Atlas who he was? Maybe he shouldn’t have agreed to come.

“You alright boyo?” Atlas was several feet ahead of him and Jack realised he’d fallen significantly behind. He shook himself and hurried forward to Atlas. They kept walking, Atlas making sure Jack was staying close. He wanted Jack to come with. Figuring it would do him good to get out of the same old place. Atlas had decided they should go to Arcadia. Seeing the plants growing there always made Atlas happy. He hoped they had a similar effect on Jack.

The bathysphere ride was short. Jack sat with his face pressed against the window. The view of the city was breathtaking, even if parts of it were falling deeper into the ocean. When they docked in Arcadia Atlas put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. 

“Stay close to me. It’ll be fine. We’re just looking for food and anything that might have an engine in it.” Jack nodded. Atlas had said something about engines and co2 scrubbers but Jack was supposed to let Atlas worry about that for the most part. The door swung open and Atlas stepped out with Jack following cautiously behind him. 

Arcadia was even better than Jack remembered. Green grass. Colorful flowers, and trees! Tall and green and beautiful. The air smelled clean. There was running water that didn’t smell like salt and rust. Jack took a few steps forward and then sat down. On a whim he tugged his shoes off and planted his toes in the grass. Behind him he heard Atlas laugh. It wasn’t cruel or mocking, he sounded happy. Jack glanced up from his feet as Atlas sat beside him. They met eyes and Jack smiled which of course made Atlas smile back.

“It’s lovely here isn’t it.” The way Atlas said it it wasn’t a question. “I used to come here with Moira and Patrick all the time.” Jack’s heart dropped. He stared at Atlas in horror. They had been real? Atlas misread Jack’s expression.

“Moira was my wife. Patrick was our son. We came for a better life when he was just a baby.” Atlas looked sad and wistful. Jack felt like he might puke. They had been real. He could see the sub exploding all over again. Hear the fire and the screams of the splicers. They had been real. Atlas wasn’t looking at him. He gazed into the distance and kept talking.

“Moira was so excited to come here. I figured I could get a job and really support them. Then I started noticing the way folks were treated. The way we were still treated. Families still going hungry. People starving in the streets. Things got bad and I couldn’t just keep my head down. I got involved. Like some kind of idiot. Moira told me not to. She begged me to stay with her and Patrick, to stay quiet and suffer through it. I just couldn’t listen.” He sounded angry now. At himself or Rapture Jack wasn’t sure. 

“Things went from bad to worse. I never should’ve gotten involved. I saw how dangerous it was getting but it was too late. Ryan’s men burned our house down in the night. Patrick-” He stopped, choking on his words. “The fire started under his room. We- we couldn’t get to him. Moira died a few hours later. She’d inhaled too much smoke trying to get into his room.” Atlas was crying now. A few silent tears escaping his eyes. Jack set a hand on his knee and Atlas shook himself. 

“Sorry. We’re here to get a breath of fresh air and here I am talking about things we can’t change.” He still looked miserable, but he put on a smile when he looked at Jack and Jack could feel his heart break. He wrapped his arms around Atlas and buried his face in Atlas’s shoulder. A small part of him was relieved that they’d been dead long before the explosion in Neptune’s Bounty, but Atlas living with the guilt of the fire seemed worse. 

Jack felt Atlas return the hug and they sat for a minute. A scream roused them both. “You’re worthless! You’re nothing!” Instantly they pulled apart. Jack was on his feet in an instant, firing two shots into the woman’s head. She was dead before Atlas had time to aim. Jack lowered his pistol and felt Atlas’s eyes on him. He turned to see if he’d done something wrong.

“You’re quite the shot aren’t you.” He seemed impressed not angry. That was a relief. “We should keep moving. There’s bound to be someone who heard that.” Jack nodded, pulling his shoes on he began walking forward into Arcadia. He followed the overgrown path through the garden with Atlas close behind him. It was a strange reversal of roles. 

“Where’d you learn to shoot like that?” Atlas decided to make conversation, even it would be one sided. “Were you always that good? Before coming to Rapture I mean.” He was quiet for a moment and when he spoke next his voice was softer. “Did you splice yourself like that? You don’t seem very spliced. I mean, you look..” He trailed off. Jack watched the dirt under his feet. He was spliced to hell, it just didn’t seem to affect him like it did other people. He should be glad they’d made him that way, but it was another way he was different. 

“Nothing wrong with it mind you. I just realized how little I know about you. So long as you’re not crazy for Adam I don’t care if you’ve spliced.” Atlas seemed to have sensed Jack’s discomfort. Jack nodded to show he understood. They continued walking in silence through the garden. They were nearing the farmers market when they heard commotion. A few gunshots rang out followed by the groan of a big daddy. Jack picked up his pace as Atlas slowed down. 

“Slow down boyo. No point in running towards a fight.” Atlas called out to Jack but Jack ignored him. He continued forward. He could hear the screams of splicers but the big daddy had gone silent. Then faintly, under the creaming, he heard it.

“Why won’t you move Mr. Bubbles? Please!” A little sister. Jack broke into a sprint. He could hear Atlas yelling something but it didn’t matter. Suddenly the most important things in the world was saving the little girl. Jack rounded a corner and came face to face with a splicer. The man screamed and raised a pipe to bash Jack’s head in. 

Jack ducked and swung with his own fist. He would’ve liked to have his wrench at the very least as the splicer was too close for him to aim properly with his gun. Jack hit the splicer in the jaw. The man reeled and brought the pipe down on Jack’s knee. Jack grit his teeth and stumbled backwards. The splicer didn’t immediately pursue him and Jack was able to fire a shot into his head. 

Atlas rounded the corner, panting. “What the hell are you doing? We’re just looking for supplies we’re supposed to lay low!” Jack rushed past the fallen splicer and turned another corner. He could see the sister now. She was crouched crying by her fallen companion. There were three splicers circling her but she didn’t seem to notice. The splicers were bickering and gibbering over who got to take the Adam. Jack readied his gun and wished for an Eve hypo. Atlas caught up and put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. 

“Jack. We need to leave. This is only going to attract more of them.” Jack shook him off and tried to decide which splicer would be the biggest threat. Atlas grabbed his arm. “Jack!” He hissed urgently. “ Why’re you doing this? It’s not for the Adam is it?!” He released Jack and took a step back. “You’re not an Adam junky are you?” Jack fired the gun into one of the splicers heads. She crumpled and her mask slipped to the ground. The other two splicers whirled around and descended screaming on Jack. 

“Jack!” Atlas wasn’t being quiet anymore. He backed up, trying to aim his gun at the splicers and not Jack. Jack swung his fist into the closest splicer and tried to shoot at another. He was knocked off balance by the first and his shot hit the ceiling. “Jack there’s more of them!” Atlas turned around to fire at a group of three more splicers approaching from behind. Jack swung his fist again to knock the splicers back before firing again. This time the bullet lodged into the splicers chest. Jack heard Atlas cry out and turned. 

A spider splicer had landed a hook in Atlas’s shoulder. It wasn’t in too deep but it didn’t look good. Jack fired at the offending splicer and it fell to the floor. It wasn’t dead yet though, as it sprung up and backflipped away. Jack grunted as he felt a sudden spray of bullets fly from behind him. The surviving splicer of the first group had picked a machine gun from her fallen companion. Several of the bullets tore into Jack’s back. He turned back to her and fired off three more shots. Two of them hit and she fell. Jack turned back to Atlas, rushing over to take care of the other splicers. 

A man in a doctor’s uniform threw himself at Jack, screaming about doing no harm. Jack stumbled backwards and swung at the mans face. The spider splicer threw another hook and it cut Jack’s cheek. Atlas killed one of the three with a few pistol shots. Jack swung again and knocked the doctor back. He focused on the spider splicer and managed to hit in the chest twice more. It fell to the floor and twitched it’s limbs before dying. Jack turned to dispatch the last splicer but only got halfway around before he felt a gun against his head. The last thing Jack heard was Atlas screaming his name before everything went black.

Things didn’t stay black for very long. There was a blue glow and then his face was pressed against the glass wall of the vita chamber. He took a moment to get settled and once he knew his feet would hold him he stepped out of the vita chamber. He needed to get back to Atlas. He’d been hurt. There’d been one splicer left! He was sure Atlas could handle himself but what if something happened? 

Jack began jogging in what he hoped was the right direction. After going only a little bit he could hear the sister crying again. If she was still alive that meant Atlas had killed the splicer. Probably. Rounding a few more corners Jack could see the sister again. She was still sitting there crying, but he couldn’t see Atlas. 

Jack approached the sister and picked her up. Immediately he felt his hand tingle as it was filled with a warm glow. He ran it over the girls head as she kicked and struggled. Her head rolled back and for a second all he could see was light. Then the girl was standing in front of him. 

“Thank you mister. Thank you.” She turned and began running to the nearest hidey hole. Jack followed behind her, wanting to make sure she wouldn’t be attacked. She found a vent and began trying to scramble inside. Jack knelt down and gave her a boost with his knee. She smiled and crawled safe inside. Jack knelt on the ground for a minute before straightening. He needed to find Atlas. 

Jack went back to thee scene of the fight and looked around. There was a trail of blood leading away. Praying that it was Atlas and not a splicer Jack followed it. A few twists and turns and Jack lost the blood in the river. The good news was that a splicer wouldn’t be smart enough for that. He had definitely been following Atlas. 

Jack looked up and down the small river. There was a bridge a little ways up river. With nothing better to go on, Jack headed that way. As he approached where the bridge stood over the river he could hear some small grumblings. Peering into the shadow cast by the bridge he saw a figure fussing with a length of cloth. Jack moved cautiously, wanting to be certain it was Atlas. The closer he got the better he could see. It was definitely Atlas. He was trying to bandage his shoulder. Jack hurried forward to help, no longer bothering to quiet his footsteps. Atlas looked up and drew his gun. Jack slowed and held his hands in front of him, waiting for Atlas to recognize him. 

“Jack?” Atlas didn’t sound thrilled to see that he was still alive. His voice was guarded and he didn’t lower the gun. Jack nodded and stood still, waiting for the gun to be lowered. Atlas kept it pointed at him. “Don’t think I’m not happy to see you, but you died. I watched you take more shots than any man should be able to and then your head was blown off. Who are you?” Jack pointed to himself in confusion. He was Jack. Atlas walked closer, squinting at Jack as though trying to see something new about him. 

“You died and your body disappeared. That’s how vita chambers work. Only problem is that those only work on Ryan. So how did you do it?” Jack took a step back as the gun came closer to his face. He didn’t fancy having his head blown off twice in one day. He had no idea how to answer Atlas’s question. Without words there was no way to convey the answer and even if he could he wasn’t sure he wanted Atlas to know who he was. The way he said Ryans name. Like he hated having to even acknowledge the man’s existence. Jack drew his arms tight in front of him like they would somehow protect him from Atlas’s anger.

“Jack.” His voice was steady, not angry, but not trusting. There was no sign of the friendliness from just twenty minutes earlier. “I want to trust you. I really do, but you have to explain things.” Jack glanced hopelessly around as though there would be some magic answer on the walls. He was starting to get panicky. Atlas was going to hate him now. Jack was a freak and Atlas was finally figuring that out. Atlas would abandon him. He’d be alone. What if Fontaine found him again? Jack’s breathing sped up and felt his eyes prickling. 

“Jack.” Atlas’s voice brought Jack’s focus back. “Do you work for Fontaine?” Jack shook his head violently back and forth. Of course he didn’t work for Fontaine, he hated Fontaine. “Did you work for Ryan?” Jack shook his head again. All Ryan had ever wanted was to kill him. “How do the chambers work for you then? Did you hack them or something?” Jack shook his head. How could he tell Atlas he was Ryan’s son. He could always write it down but he didn’t want Atlas to hate him. “Did you kill the little sister?” Jack glanced up. Atlas was staring at him intently. Jack shook his head. He’d never hurt any of them. Atlas seemed to come to a decision and he lowered the gun.

“What aren’t you telling me?” He sounded tired. “Who are you?” Jack floundered for an answer and held out his arms for Atlas to see. Again he pointed at the tattoos on his wrists. Atlas frowned. “You said that was why Fontaine hurt you, right?” Jack shrugged a little but nodded. It was approximately correct and the best explanation he had. Atlas nodded looking at them. He took hold of Jack’s wrist and ran a finger over the chains. “I don’t understand. What do these mean?” Atlas reached out again and flinched in pain. Jack startled and looked at him. Atlas gripped his shoulder.

“It’s alright. Just got nicked by one of their hooks.” It didn’t look alright. His shirt was stained bright red. He’d been trying to bandage it, Jack remembered, when he’d found him. Jack reached out in concern, fingers falling just short of the injury. Atlas winced again but put on a smile. “It’ll be alright, just needs a few days to heal.” Jack shook his head and glanced around for the bandages Atlas had had. They were sitting on the bank next to the river and Jack suddenly realized he and Atlas were both standing up to their ankles in water. He took Atlas’s good arm and tugged him onto the bank next to the bandages. He then unwadded the cloth and wrapped it around Atlas’s shoulder. Atlas laughed.

“Couldn’t do it on my own very well. I’m right handed.” He smiled more genuinely. “Guess I’m lucky to have you.” Jack was glad Atlas was back to being friendly. He tied off the bandage and stepped back. “I’m sorry I put a gun on you.” Atlas looked slightly embarrassed. “It’s just… With everything that’s happened. I wasn’t sure.” Jack nodded and squeezed Atlas’s hand to show he understood. 

“We should go and finally get some food.” Atlas glanced over his shoulder. “It’s this way.” He turned to go and Jack followed him. Neither of them pointed out that they were still holding hands. Neither of them felt that they particularly minded. The walk to the market was quiet and almost enjoyable. 

Once they made it to the market Atlas dropped Jack’s hand. Neither of them said anything about it. “We should stick together. I don’t know how the vita chamber picked you up but I don’t want to rely on it. Besides, I don’t have a miracle like that.” Jack nodded. He wasn’t worried about being brought back, but dying still wasn’t fun. Atlas lead the way through the stalls. He seemed to know where all the hidden cupboards were and soon they had a decent stash of food. Jack would’ve killed to eat something that wasn’t out of a can, but the only things not spoiled were candy bars.

Splicers jumped out at them occasionally, but Jack was careful and didn’t let them get the drop on him. A few pistol shots from both of them and the splicers fell. Jack searched the corpses which earned him a strange look from Atlas. It was worth it when he pulled out on Eve hypo. Atlas didn’t seem to be as excited about the find as Jack was.

“You should put that back where you found it. The less plasmids we mess with, the better off we’ll be.” Jack shook his head and shoved the needle into his arm. They would be so much safer if he could use his plasmids. Atlas took a few steps back from him.

“That stuffs dangerous Jack.” Jack just shook his head and pointed at himself. “No?” Atlas looked confused. “I don’t understand. You don’t think it’s bad? Do you know how the splicers started out?” Jack nodded. He did, but he hadn’t had any effects at all. And he had used a lot of Adam. “What?” Atlas was still watching him. “You think you’re safe from that.” Jack nodded again, trying to look certain enough to convince Atlas. He must’ve done a good job, that or Atlas was too tired to fight. Atlas shrugged and continued through the market.

Once their bags started getting a bit heavy Atlas called it off. “We want to still be able to move fast. Let’s head back.” Jack nodded, glad to be done with this particular adventure. The walk back to the sub was mostly uneventful. A few more splicers but nothing they couldn’t handle. Atlas was slower at drawing and aiming thanks to his shoulder but Jack made up for it. It wasn’t till they were back in the bathysphere that Jack realised it was his fault Atlas was hurt. Sure, he’d been trying to save the little sister, but if he hadn’t rushed in Atlas wouldn’t be hurt the way he was.

Jack looked guiltily at Atlas. Eventually Atlas noticed and gave Jack a bemused expression. “What’s the matter Jacky? Someone kick your puppy?” Jack frowned, he’d never heard that expression and for just a moment he glanced around the sub to see if there was somehow a dog he hadn’t noticed. Atlas laughed. “I just mean you look sad.” Oh. Jack pointed at Atlas’s shoulder. Atlas laughed again. “I’m fine, really. I just need a little bit to rest. Thanks to you coming along we’ve got twice as much food as normal so it’ll be alright.” Jack didn’t bother to point out that they were also eating twice as much food.

The bathysphere docked and the two headed back to the safety of the apartment. Inside Atlas started organizing and stocking the shelves with food. Jack tried to help but he wasn’t quite sure what the system was. Eventually Atlas told him to just go rest. Jack wandered further into the apartment and sat down on the bed. He’d saved the little sister but maybe if he’d been more careful Atlas wouldn’t be hurt. He sighed and flopped backwards onto the bed. At least the little girl was safe. He wondered where she’d go. If Tenenbaum was still in Rapture to protect her. He half hoped she was still saving sisters and half hoped she’d escaped by now.

Jack sat back up when Atlas sat down next to him. He’d been too lost in thought to hear his approach. Atlas took a breath before speaking.

“I don’t know who you are. Or how you can get the vita chambers to work. Or why you’d die for one of those little monsters but not harvest the Adam. There’s a lot of things I don’t understand, but I’ve decided something. I don’t need to know. Sure I’m curious, and if later on you want to tell me then I’d love to know. But for now, it doesn’t matter.” He took Jack’s hand and squeezed it. “You’re Jack. You’re my friend. That’s all that matters.” 

Jack stared at Atlas, slack jawed. After a moment he squeezed his hand back. Maybe there was a lot Atlas didn’t know about him. Maybe there was still a lot he didn’t know about Atlas. Maybe that would be okay. Maybe they would be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I like dogs. Also Jackie Boy was awesome and suggested they find a dog. So they find a dog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this. I've had the next chapter written for awhile but I wanted something to go in between. A friend on the bioshock amino suggested a dog, so here we are. I have a plan and know where this is going, so keep checking for updates.

Jack woke curled up under the blankets of his bed. He felt something next to him and rolled sideways to look. Atlas was lying asleep next to him. He smiled and shut his eyes again. Yesterday had been an ordeal, but they’d come out okay. And now he knew the vita chambers would still bring him back, that was useful information. Atlas had said he was his friend. Jack drifted off again with a warm feeling in his chest. 

Atlas woke later and glanced sideways to check if Jack was still sleeping. He was. He looked peaceful. All his injuries had healed, scars the only hint that he had ever been hurt. Jack still didn’t speak, but that was okay. Maybe soon they could escape together. It was a nice thought. Atlas gently ran a hand through Jack’s hair. He shifted a little and Atlas froze. The last thing he wanted was to wake him up. Jack remained asleep, however, and Atlas relaxed. He smiled at the sleeping man and then reluctantly withdrew his hand and climbed out of bed.

Atlas went to the kitchen and began pulling out food. Yesterday had gotten them a good haul of food and he felt they should celebrate. It would have to be cold but that would be alright. He poured two bowls of rice and then pulled out a can of beans. Splitting that between the two bowls as well. Lastly he added some corn to the bowls and deemed them done.

Atlas didn’t want to eat until Jack woke up so he settled on the couch and began cleaning off the two pistols. He had a third but it was in terrible condition and so he didn’t bother with it. He unloaded the pistols and disassembled them before wiping them down. He hummed a little to himself as he reconstructed them. Once that was done he lay on the couch and closed his eyes. After a few minutes he stood again and crossed back into the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Jack.

It was strange, he thought. He hadn’t known Jack for very long. A month maybe, and he was so fond of him. He knew without a doubt that he trusted Jack, and that he wanted to help Jack keep recovering. When had he grown so fond? Fond almost seemed too small a word. He watched Jack sleep and he knew. He would do whatever it took to keep Jack safe. To see him keep smiling. God help him he was probably in love. He’d caught himself looking at Jack strangely, but he’d tried to ignore any emotions he felt. The last thing he wanted was to scare Jack away.

He wanted Jack to come to the surface with him. What would happen when they escaped? Would Jack want to stay with him? Did Jack have a family to go back to? For a moment Atlas hoped he didn’t and then Atlas chastised himself for being selfish. It would be good if Jack had a family to go back to. 

Atlas absently ran his hand through Jack’s hair. He thought about the surface. What was he going to do when they made it up? He knew he was good at lifting. He was a good leader, but he didn’t think he wanted anyone looking to him for orders. Not after what had happened. Maybe he could get a job as a factory worker. That wouldn’t be too hard. He could be alone, if he had to be. He’d been alone ever since Fontaine came into the picture. He couldn’t expect Jack to stay with him forever, that wouldn’t be fair. 

A soft sigh from beside him made Atlas turn. Jack was looking up at him with half awake eyes. Oops. He didn’t seem frightened to wake up to Atlas’s touch. That was a relief. He was smiling drowsily up at Atlas and Atlas found himself smiling back. “Breakfast’s ready if you want it.” Jack nodded and yawned, sitting up all the way. Atlas slid out of bed and Jack followed him. They sat together in the kitchen and let a comfortable silence fall between them. Atlas passed Jack one of the bowls. “Sorry it’s cold, but I felt like we should celebrate how much we found yesterday.” 

Jack picked up his bowl and closed his eyes. A second later his hand ignited in flames. Atlas yelped and jumped a little. When nothing else happened he grinned sheepishly. “I didn’t know you could do that. Is this what you wanted the Eve for? To heat up food? You ought to be careful how much you use that you know.” It was obvious to Jack that his plasmid use made Atlas uncomfortable. He understood why, but he wasn’t certain how to tell Atlas that he wouldn’t go crazy, that he was immune to the side effects. He set his bowl down and reached for Atlas’s. Atlas watched his hand, but didn’t stop him. Jack heated Atlas’s food as well and then set it back in front of him. Atlas looked wary but he wasn’t going to pass up a hot meal for the first time in god only knew how long.

“So.” Atlas attempted to start a conversation. “You know your way around some plasmids.” Jack nodded, not looking up from his food. “You don’t look spliced though, not terribly.” Jack nodded again. Atlas took a few bites before continuing. “You didn’t kill the little sister. I have no idea why, but that means you didn’t want the Adam.” Jack shrugged. Technically he had gotten some Adam out of it but that hadn’t been why he’d done it. He’d just wanted to help the little girl. Thankfully Atlas didn’t press him and they finished eating in a comfortable silence. 

Jack fidgeted a bit when he’d finished eating. What if things were strained or tense now? Atlas had said he didn’t need to know but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t feel weird around Jack. Would things be different? Jack went through the motions of the morning with growing anxiety. 

As it turned out, he had no need to worry. As the days went on the only indication anything had ever happened was Atlas teasing him about going into more dangerous areas since he couldn’t die. Jack would just smile and shrug. He knew Atlas didn’t really want him to go into danger, but he would if Atlas needed it.

After a week Jack could almost forget anything had happened at all. He felt a little bolder now that he had a bit of Eve in him. A second or third hypo would be ideal, but he could fire off a few plasmids before he ran out. Jack had even been considering going out on his own. Not that he didn’t like being with Atlas, but he hadn’t had time alone since he was rescued. Drawbacks of living in a four room house. With his mind made up Jack got up to find Atlas and let him know he was going out. 

Atlas was sitting at the kitchen table frowning over his gun. He looked up when Jack walked in. 

“You doing all right?” He questioned. Jack nodded and pointed to Atlas’s gun. Atlas looked down at it. “What this? Stupid thing went and got jammed. Shouldn’t be too hard to fix, but it might take a bit. Jack nodded and then pointed towards the door. Atlas followed his finger. 

“You want to head out? If you give me half an hour I should have this fixed and we can go.” Jack shook his head and pointed at himself, then the door. The game of charades he was forced to play just to communicate felt absolutely degrading some times. Luckily, Atlas was good at figuring him out. “You want to go alone?” Jack nodded. Atlas seemed to think it over for a minute before speaking again.

“I mean, I’ll be worried till you come back, but I’ve seen you in action. You can handle yourself. Just stay sharp all right?” He hesitated and then asked, “Did I do something wrong?” He frowned and then rushed to continue. “I mean, do you just want to be alone, or is it something I did, or..” He trailed off and looked up at Jack, who was quickly shaking his head. 

Jack reached out and squeezed Atlas’s hand, smiling at him. Atlas seemed to relax and smiled back. “Not something I did then?” Jack shook his head. He was pretty sure Atlas was incapable of doing something to drive him away. With things cleared up Jack headed out the door. 

At first Jack just walked aimlessly. He wasn’t looking for supplies, he just wanted to walk. He shut his eyes and took in deep breaths of air. It wasn’t the same as breathing fresh air, at least, he didn’t think it was. But it was still fresher than the air in their house. There were only two windows, neither of which opened, so the air got a little stale. Lost in his thoughts Jack let his feet carry him where they would. He really wasn’t worried about being attacked, he could handle things. 

After a time, Jack had no idea how long, Jack saw a street he couldn’t remember ever going down. Intrigued he turned and began heading down it. He was a bit more careful now, the street was unfamiliar territory after all. 

As he followed the winding pavement his ears began to pick up a strange noise. It sounded like a whine. It would come in three bursts and then go quiet before repeating. Jack picked up the pace and began peering into the shadows to see if he could find what was making the noise. Eventually he realised he’d passed the source and he doubled back till it got louder again.

Finally, Jack was pretty sure he’d found where the noise was coming from. There was a house missing a chunk of wall, but a recent looking collapse of rubble blocked easy access to the inside. He was pretty sure that was where the noise was coming from. Was a splicer trapped under the rubble? Jack debated his options. He could move the rubble fairly easily with telekinesis, but what if it was an enemy?

After a few minutes of deliberating Jack decided screw it, being trapped there would be a rotten way to die. At worst he’d just put a splicer out of their misery. Jack held out his hand and focused on lifting the rubble out of the way. Not too far though, he wanted to see what he was dealing with before he let whatever it was out. With the rubble a few feet up he ducked his head to look under it. He was greeted with the biggest, shiniest puppy dog eyes he’d ever seen. Jack blinked once in shock and did a double take. There was definitely a dog staring back at him from inside the house. As Jack stared the dog dropped to it’s belly and crawled under the floating pile of debris. 

Jack dropped the rubble and kneeled down in front of the dog to get a better look. It was long with floppy ears and a tail tucked between its legs. It sniffed at Jack and looked up with the biggest puppy eyes he’d ever seen. Jack felt his heart melt. He hesitantly extended his hand out to the dog. The dog sniffed and for one brief moment the two of them locked eyes. Jack knew he was taking it back with him. No matter what.

The dog was brown with some black and white patches. It’s hair was matted and covered in dirt and what looked like blood. Jack frowned in sympathy before slowly and carefully putting his hand on the dogs back. The dog tensed a little and looked up at him. Jack waited a moment before slowly stroking his hand down the dogs back. When the dog remained passively watching him Jack began petting a little less hesitantly. 

After a few moments the dog’s tail answered his petting with it’s own hesitant wag. Jack felt himself smile and moved his hand up to scratch behind the dog’s ears. For a moment he wanted to whisper out to it, but a quick glance around reminded him this place wasn’t safe. Jack stood and walked a few steps away, patting his thigh for the dog to follow. To his joy it immediately got up after him. 

Jack began leading the dog back. He was sure Atlas would let it stay. He’d need to think of a name though. What was a good dog name? He’d had a dog once. The memory made him cringe. He’d make sure that didn’t happen again. He’d take good care of this dog.

The walk back home was uneventful. Jack stopped in front of the door to their hideout. He took a deep breath and glanced back at the dog. Time to find out if Atlas was a dog person. 

He opened the door slowly and peeked his head inside, keeping the dog behind him. Atlas wasn’t immediately in front of the door, so Jack ventured in. The dog followed happily behind him. Jack peeked into the living room next. Atlas was on the couch rereading one of the five books they had on hand. Jack took a step forward and the floor creaked. Shit. Atlas looked up from his book.

“You’re back.” He sounded pleased but Jack didn’t want to read into it. Instead he nodded. Atlas frowned slightly, “You seem nervous, something happen?” Jack nodded and stepped aside, putting the dog in full view. He gestured vaguely towards the dog and gave Atlas a nervous smile. Trying to silently plead the dogs case with his face alone.

Atlas stared at the dog, then at Jack, then back at the dog. Finally he spoke. “You found a dog.” It was a statement. Jack nodded and swallowed nervously. “Doe he have a name?” Jack shook his head. Atlas got off the couch and kneeled in front of the dog. He reached his hand out, much like Jack had done. The dog stretched its neck out and licked his fingers. Atlas laughed a little and Jacks smile lost its worry. 

“Well I guess he’ll have to stay.” Atlas shrugged his shoulders, the smile never leaving his face. “Any preference for the name?” Jack shook his head. He couldn’t exactly voice an opinion, he figured he’d just shake his head if he didn’t like Atlas’s idea. Atlas thought for a moment. “What about… Mcgregor?” Jack nodded agreeably. That was a nice name. 

Atlas scratched behind Mcgregor’s ears and grinned. “Good boy Mcgregor.” His voice shifted into a squishy high pitched one Jack hadn’t heard him use before. “Who’s a good boy?” He was practically grinning as he pet the small dog. “Where’d you find this little guy anyway?” Jack shrugged and pointed roughly in the direction he’d gone. 

“Hey Mcgregor, are you hungry?” Atlas stood and made his way to the kitchen, making sure Mcgregor was following him. He rifled through the cans they had till he found one with meat in it. He opened it up and set some of it on the floor. “We’ll need to find you a proper dog bowl won’t we?” Mcgregor didn’t seem to mind eating off the floor as the food was gone before Atlas could finish speaking. 

Jack was thrilled. This was going far better than he’d imagined. He’d been so scared Atlas would turn the dog away, he would be a drain on food after all, but Atlas didn’t seem to mind. He was already feeding Mcgregor the rest of the can’s contents. Jack knelt on the kitchen floor next to Mcgregor and scratched behind his ears. When Mcgregor had finished eating he rolled over and presented his belly for a rub. 

“I think he likes you.” Atlas laughed. Jack happily provided Mcgregor with a tummy rub and they passed the rest of the day entertaining themselves with Mcgregor. He knew how to sit and roll over. He knew to fetch too. Though they didn’t have any dog toys, so they played with an old shoe. 

When they finally tired and went to bed, Mcgregor hopped right up onto the bed next to Jack. Atlas gave Mcgregor an affectionate pat and wished Jack goodnight before retiring to the couch. Jack made himself as comfortable as he could with Mcgregor taking up the middle of the bed, and soon all three of them were fast asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atlas makes an offer and Jack comes clean. There's a lot of crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are amazing and so so kind! Seriously, all the comments you've been leaving are super nice. So here's another chapter. Lots of crying cause this is still shamelessly self indulgent. Also the plot is advancing, so that's cool.

As the days went on Mcgregor became a natural part of daily life, and neither could imagine mornings without him happily bounding off the bed into the kitchen. Unfortunately, all the puppy faces in the world couldn’t stop Atlas from worrying about what would happen when they reached the surface. After a few days of thought he decided to just ask Jack if he had a place to go. 

“Hey, boyo?” Jack glanced up from his food. Atlas tried to sound nonchalant. “You have any family waiting for you? When we make it to the surface?” Atlas waited for Jack’s response with baited breath. Jack thought. He remembered a farmhouse, a mother and a father. He couldn’t remember faces or names or anything to make him think they had been real. That they had been anything more than fabricated memories. He shook his head, no family. He felt a weight settle in his stomach. Where would he go? He couldn’t expect Atlas to put up with him forever. What would he do?

As Jack sunk lower in his seat Atlas felt horribly relieved. He tried to look sympathetic when he spoke next, though he couldn’t keep the hopefulness out of his voice. “I’m alone too. So, I was thinking, why don’t we stick together when we get out?” Jack looked up in shock. Atlas wanted to stay with him? Atlas wanted him to stay? Before he could fully process what he was doing Jack rose from his chair and threw his arms around Atlas. Atlas was startled for only a moment, and then he held Jack to him. 

“I’ll take that as a yes then.” He laughed a little. Jack buried his face in Atlas’s chest. It would be okay. Atlas wanted him to stay. Jack stayed pressed against Atlas for another minute before something else occurred to him. Atlas still didn’t know. He didn’t know who Jack was or what he had done. If he wanted Jack to stay with him... He deserved to know, Jack decided. He needed to tell him. The only question was how. With that in mind Jack pulled away from Atlas and returned to his breakfast. He needed to find a way to explain. 

It took Jack a few days to come up with a solution. When he realised what he could do it seemed almost painfully obvious. He’d been lying in bed staring at the ceiling when it hit him. Ryan’s office. His string board. The audio diaries. They would explain things. If Atlas had questions after that Jack would just have to do his best. With a plan now formed the only obstacle left was getting over his anxiety and doing it.

What if Atlas decided he didn’t want to be around Jack anymore? What if he took advantage of the power he could have over Jack? What if he hurt him? Jack shook his head. Atlas was his friend. Atlas wouldn’t hurt him. But you thought that before, didn’t you? The little nagging voice in Jack’s head whispered to him. How do you know you can really trust this Atlas? Jack tried to squash his doubts down but he couldn’t silence them. He supposed things couldn’t be any worse than they’d been with Fontaine. On that cheery note Jack pushed himself off the bed and went to find Atlas. It was time to come clean.

Jack found Atlas lounging on the couch with Mcgregor in his lap. It was a quiet sort of day and they’d been planning to do nothing. Jack took Atlas’s hand and tugged gently, indicating Atlas should follow him. Atlas got off the couch and followed Jack without question. When Jack started out the door Atlas grew curious. 

“Where’re we going boyo? Is it far? Let me grab my gun first.” Jack shrugged. It wasn’t close, but it wasn’t too far either. Once he was armed Atlas stayed quiet the rest of the walk. He felt that it was a comfortable silence and smiled as they walked. Jack felt like he wanted to run back the apartment and never leave his bed again. This was crazy. They reached the bathysphere and Jack set the location to Hephaestus. 

Atlas looked curiously at him. “What’s this about then? We don’t know what new parts we need yet and we’re doing fine on food.” Jack nodded. This wasn’t for supplies. This was for explaining. When the sphere lurched into the sea Jack felt his stomach lurch with it. Was this really a good idea? Atlas had said he didn’t care who Jack was. He didn’t have to do this. But he did.

A small part of Jack knew. He would never feel safe until he’d done this. He had to get it off his chest. There was no other way to truly feel safe with Atlas. Sure, Atlas wouldn’t hurt him and they could live happily on the surface, but Jack would always wonder. Did Atlas only care because he didn’t know? Would Atlas hate him if he knew who Jack was? Would Atlas hurt him is he knew what Jack had done? It was too much. Jack curled in on himself and waited for the sphere to dock. He felt Atlas move to sit closer to him.

“You doing alright?” Atlas wrapped an arm around Jack’s shoulders. Jack shook his head. He wasn’t alright. Atlas was going to hate him. This whole plan had been stupid. He should just live happily knowing part of it was a lie. He felt himself beginning to shake as his eyes filled with tears. “Jack?” Atlas sounded concerned. “What’s the matter?” 

Jack didn’t know how to respond. I’m sorry? Please don’t hate me? He settled for turning and hiding his face in Atlas’s chest. He seemed to be doing that a lot. Atlas rubbed slow circles on Jack’s back with his palm. “Jacky what’s wrong?” He knew Jack couldn’t answer but he still wasn’t certain what else to say when Jack got like this. Jack obviously wanted to bring him somewhere, but why would it make him upset? Horribly, Atlas’s first thought was that Jack was betraying him to Fontaine, leading him into an ambush. He squashed the thought down, admonishing himself for ever thinking that about Jack. Still, what was wrong?

The sphere stopped moving but Atlas made no move to get up. Jack could take all the time he needed. Jack sniffled and tried not to let his snot get on Atlas’s shirt. It had happened before and though Atlas never mentioned it Jack still felt embarrassed for ruining his clothes like that. Finally, Jack pulled back from the hug and faced Atlas. His face was red and his eyes were puffy. Jack bit his lip to keep from crying again and stood to exit the sphere.

Atlas followed behind Jack again and they made their way into Hephaestus. Atlas drew his gun while Jack kept his fist ready to shoot lightning at the first sign of danger. Luckily the way to Ryan’s office was already open, so it was just a straight shot to the control room and the cork board. Atlas followed Jack on blind faith, hoping they’d get where they were going quickly. 

About five minutes into their trek a pair of splicers ran at them screaming. One a woman in a cat mask, the other a man in a bird. Atlas fired off a shot at one while Jack sent an ark of lightning into the other. The first splicer cried out when Atlas’s bullet lodged in her thigh. The second began convulsing until Jack picked up a length of pipe and struck him in the head. He crumpled. Jack heard a second gun shot and turned as the cat woman fell. Atlas looked sadly at the corpses before walking past them. “Where to, Jacky?”

They walked further into the maze of pipes and machinery. Jack felt his anxiety increasing with every step. He wanted to turn around and forget the whole thing but he couldn’t seem to stop his feet from carrying him closer to that horrible room where he’d learned everything. They reached the room Jack had been in when Ryan had begun to destroy Rapture. Jack led Atlas slowly across the room and to the door. He reached to open it but hesitated. Could he really go through with this? 

Atlas stopped beside him and waited for Jack to open the door. Jack turned to stare at Atlas with wet eyes. He didn’t want to do this. He really didn’t want to do this. Atlas smiled at him, hoping it was reassuring. “It’s alright.” He squeezed Jack’s shoulder. Jack took a breath and opened the door. 

The room looked the same as it had been when Jack had first found it. He stared in without moving his feet. Atlas waited behind him, trying to peer over his shoulder into the room. Unfortunately Jack had a few inches on Atlas and he couldn’t see much of anything. Finally Jack took another breath and stepped aside. He still didn’t go into the room but he motioned Atlas forward. Atlas looked at him curiously, trying to discern Jack’s purpose. Jack stared at his feet and tried not to cry. Atlas stepped past him and into the room.

The first thing Atlas noticed was the corkboard with it’s red string and photographs and big red letters. Would you kindly? He glanced backwards but Jack was still standing in the doorway looking down. Atlas decided he might as well figure out what all of this meant. He approached the board to look more carefully at the photos. There were six photos and a poster. More photos sat on the desk beneath the board as well as two audio diaries. 

He recognized some of the people in the pictures. There was a photo of Jack, one of Ryan, one of Fontaine, one of a woman he didn’t recognize though her name was under the photo labeling her as Jasmine Jolene. There was a photo of Suchong and one of Tenenbaum as well. Atlas stared at the photos for a minute before turning to the the items on the desk. A few photos of Jack taken from security cameras and two audio diaries. He picked up the first and hit play. 

“Advanced deployment, lot 111. Doctor Suchong. Client, Fontaine Futuristics.” Atlas just stared at the device in his hand as it spoke of some strange baby. A fit nineteen year old? Results are disappointing? He reached for next diary, hoping for clarification. It started playing and he heard the friendly bark of a dog. Suchong spoke and then there was a little boy. 

“Thank you Papa Suchong.” Atlas stared. That had to be the baby spoken of in the first recording. But why would Jack bring him here? What did all this have to do with him. He could tell Suchong had done experiments on a baby for Fontaine but beyond that he was lost. The puppy’s neck broke as it let out a horrible whimper and he heard Suchong’s pleased response. He let out a shaky breath set the diary down. He ran a hand over his face. What was all this. 

Atlas turned back to the photos. He understood why Suchong and Fontaine were on the wall. He could guess Tenenbaum had been working with Suchong, so that explained half the people. He frowned and stepped back to take in the big picture. Jack had brought him here for a reason. The string connected all the photos but the only one attached to every other person was Jack. There was a baby, and a little boy who had snapped a dogs neck. He’d snapped the neck after Suchong had said would you kindly. The same phrase that was painted on the board. 

What did it mean? And what did it have to do with Jack? There was no reason for Jack to be connected to any of this, unless... Atlas whipped around to the doorway. Jack wasn’t standing there anymore. Atlas bolted out of the room and looked around wildly. “Jack?!” Atlas heard a sniffle to his right and turned to see Jack. He was sitting next to the door with his back to the wall. His knees were drawn up to his chin and he was crying. Atlas tried to find the right words to ask Jack about all of it. 

Finally, Atlas decided to be blunt. “Jack? Are you the little boy in the recording? The baby Suchong was talking about?” Jack stared up at him from the floor. He looked terrified. He met Atlas’s gaze for a moment before he broke down sobbing. He scrunched his eyes shut and nodded, body shaking with sobs. Atlas stood staring, trying to process things. He still didn’t understand how Ryan or Jasmine played into this, or what exactly Jack was. The important thing now was that Jack was terrified.

Jack shook and cried, heedless of the snot and tears that dripped onto his knees. Atlas knew the truth now. He was less than human. A science experiment. A thing. Atlas still didn't even know the worst of it. That Jack was the one that gave Fontaine control. With each passing second he could feel his dreams of being happy with Atlas on the surface fading away. He gasped for air and realized he’d started hyperventilating. He couldn’t breathe. He waited for Atlas to start yelling, or to hit him, or to just leave. 

None of those things happened. Instead he felt Atlas wrap his arms around him. He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his own heart pounding but Atlas just held him tight. Jack sobbed and shook and let Atlas hold him. After an eternity that couldn’t have been more than five minutes Jack felt his breath returning. His heartbeat calmed and he reached up to wipe at his eyes. Atlas pulled back when he felt Jack move. Jack’s head was pounding and his chest ached from sobbing. He looked tearily up at Atlas, waiting to see what he would do. 

Atlas stared at Jack. His words had gone unheard while Jack was crying but maybe now they would do some good. “Jack?” He spoke softly. “I still don’t fully understand, but what I do know doesn’t change anything.” He put a hand on Jack’s shoulder, nervous to say the next part. This might ruin everything but damn it, it seemed like it might be what Jack needed to hear. 

Atlas took a breath and looked directly into Jack’s eyes. “I’m not leaving. Jack I love you. And that doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want. I know Fontaine did some very bad things to you. But it means I’m not going anywhere. You understand?” Jack was looking at him, wide eyed. He looked shocked, but not scared. That was probably a good sign. 

“You alright boyo?” Atlas chuckled a little nervously. “Was that- Should I not’ve..?” He trailed off. Jack was breathing hard now, but in a good way. Not the shaky breath that came after he panicked. The deep breaths of coming down from a high. He felt free. It was better than the first time he’d tried a plasmid. A lot better, considering he didn’t pass out. He felt good, and most importantly, for just a moment, he didn’t feel scared. Jack stared at Atlas for a moment and something clicked. He didn’t know what it was but something was different. He opened his mouth.

“Atlas?” The word came out as a question. Soft and unsure of itself. Atlas gaped at him, frozen in shock. “Atlas.” Jack spoke again, and with the word came a smile. “Thank you.” 

Atlas seemed to recover enough to speak. “You can talk!?” He hadn’t meant to shout but confusion and excitement elevated his voice. “Jack you can talk!” He was grinning now, looking almost manic. Jack’s smile widened at Atlas’s excitement. “I thought you said you couldn’t speak?” Atlas calmed himself enough to start asking questions. 

Jack shook his head. “Too scared. Couldn’t do it.” 

“Oh.” Atlas nodded as though he understood. He didn’t understand, but he accepted the answer. “Jack, can I ask you about the things in that room?” He jerked his thumb behind him towards the doorway. Jack nodded. “Alright.” Atlas took a moment to think of his first question. Strangely enough the first question he could think of had nothing to do with the things in the room. “What’s your favorite color?” 

Jack looked at Atlas and smiled. Did he really not care that Jack was a lab grown freak? It felt incredible. “Green.” He answered. He’d loved the plants in Arcadia. The trees and flowers had been the prettiest things he’d ever seen. Atlas’s eyes crinkled with his smile. As lovely as it was to learn small things, he figured he’d better start asking the big questions. “So. You’re the little boy from the recording?” 

Jack nodded. He only faintly remembered his time in the labs, but he could recall bits and pieces. Papa Suchong and white coats. Bright lights and needles. He remembered being alone and sad. It wasn’t important anymore. He waited for Atlas’s next question. 

“Are you the baby he talked about? The.. fast growing one?” Jack nodded again. “How old are you?” Jack had been waiting for that question. He wasn’t positive but the dates and times he’d found paired with some of Fontaine’s taunts gave him a decent idea. He held up four fingers. Speaking still felt strange, so he wanted to keep it to a minimum. Atlas gaped. “You’re only four years old?” Jack shrunk a little. He knew he was wrong, but he’d hoped Atlas wouldn’t care. Atlas lifted Jack’s face by the chin. 

“It’s alright. It’s a little strange, but hey, we’re in a city at the bottom of the ocean. People can shoot fire and lightning from their hands. Everything’s a little strange. That doesn’t have to mean bad.” Jack thought about that. That doesn’t have to mean bad. He liked that. Fontaine had made him feel like he was something to be ashamed of, but Atlas, Atlas made him feel wonderful. He smiled again and Atlas leaned back, deeming Jack’s emotional state alright for the time being. 

“What does Ryan have to do with all of this?” Jack hesitated. This was the worst part. He didn’t think Atlas would leave him anymore, but it still changed a lot. 

“He’s my father.” It was only a whisper, but judging by his expression, Atlas had heard. “He’s my father. Jasmine is, was, my mother.” He might as well come completely clean. “I killed Ryan. I killed him and I gave Fontaine control of the city.” He felt his chest tightening and more tears in his eyes. He thought he would’ve run out by now. “I didn’t want to.” His voice sounded weak. “I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t know.” He dug his palms into his eyes. “I didn’t know.

“Jack.” Atlas’s voice was heavy. He sounded concerned. Jack didn’t want to look up to see. “Can you tell me what happened? The whole story?” Jack put his hands down from his eyes and nodded. He’d already said the worst of it, might as well make all the details clear.

“I came here in a plane crash.” That didn’t seem like the right place to start. It wasn’t the whole story either. He’d crashed the plane.

“I thought you were Ryan’s son?” Atlas was confused now. “How did you come here in a plane?” Jack ran a hand over his face and tried to think of where to start. Probably with his parents.

“Ryan had an affair. He got Jasmine pregnant. She sold the fetus. Fontaine bought it, me, and Suchong and Tenenbaum made me. They sent me to the surface and then put me on a plane. I crashed it at the lighthouse.” He paused to make sure everything had been correct. It was, to the best of his knowledge. He hadn’t mentioned would you kindly though. That was an important part. “Um. Before they sent me to the surface they did something to me. A, a phrase.” 

He stumbled over his words. This was the hardest part to tell. He trusted Atlas, but to let anyone have that kind of power over him was terrifying. “It’s like a trigger. I have to do what they say if they say it.” Maybe he didn’t need to tell Atlas the words.

“Would you kindly?” Atlas guessed. It was the phrase Suchong had used and it was painted on the wall. It seemed like a safe guess. Jack flinched visibly and Atlas mentally kicked himself. Of course hearing the phrase would scare Jack. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said it. What happened after the plane crashed?” He was eager to learn Jack’s story and to move away from what was obviously a stressful subject. 

Jack took a breath to calm himself before continuing. “I took a bathysphere down. There was a radio and.. Atlas talked to me. He was my guide.” He felt stupid, explaining how easily he had been tricked. He hadn’t even thought to question Atlas at the time. To ask who he was or why he was helping him. He’d believed his story about a family without a second thought. He heard Atlas give a sharp intake of breath.

It explained one thing, Atlas thought. No wonder Jack had been so afraid of him at first. If Fontaine had befriended him first as Atlas then of course being rescued by the man Fontaine had claimed to be would seem like another trick. He waited for Jack to continue.

“Atlas, Fontaine, he said I needed to help him. That his family was trapped. I tried to save them but the sub blew up and there were so many splicers and fire everywhere and..” Jack trailed off. Atlas’s cry over the radio when his family died still hurt to think about. Fontaine was one hell of an actor, that was for sure.

“He said we needed to kill Ryan. I wanted to help. I didn’t know he was controlling me. By the time I got to Ryan he’d figured it out. He made me kill him. And then Fontaine made me switch control of Rapture to him.” Jack could feel panic welling back up when he recounted his total loss of control. “I couldn’t move. He- he took me. I was scared. He took me and…I-.. Hurt..” Jack trailed off. He didn’t want to talk about what happened after. He squeezed his eyes shut. 

Atlas pulled Jack into another hug. He rubbed his hand in circles on Jack’s back, murmuring softly. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I know, I know. Shhhhh. You’re okay now. It’s okay Jacky. It’s okay.” Jack collapsed against Atlas. That had been a lot to talk about. He wanted to just stay tucked against Atlas. He didn’t need words to do this. He didn’t need to be brave to do this. It was easy. Why couldn’t normal things just be easy for him? 

After a few minutes Atlas seemed to deem him calm enough. He let go and sat back. Jack didn’t want to meet his gaze. Sure, none of what happened was his fault, not really. It was still hard though. He was wrong, and now Atlas knew how wrong he was. He hadn’t cared about his age, but when would it be too much? A small part of Jack whispered that now that Atlas knew the whole truth he would hurt him. 

Atlas watched Jack. He’d known Jack had been hurt by Fontaine, but he’d had no idea the story would be anything like this. He wanted more than ever to keep Jack safe. To save him. Maybe he had a hero complex but he didn't care. He wanted to take Jack as far away from danger and hurt as possible. He figured he should say something.

“Jack.” He waited until Jack looked up at him. “I’m proud of you.” Jack tilted his head in confusion. “I’m proud of you for telling me this. I’m honored you chose to trust me with this.” He wasn’t sure how to fully express what he was feeling. Emotions were messy and while he was a good speaker, explaining emotions was hard. Jack looked hopeful and Atlas decided to just restate his earlier promise. “I’m not going anywhere Jack. I promise.” Jack smiled. It was small, and half sad, but it was a smile. Atlas stood and held out his hand. “Let’s go home.” 

The walk back to the sub was fairly peaceful. Atlas reached out to take Jack’s hand but after less than a minute Jack pulled away and brought his hands to his chest, one holding the other. 

Atlas looked at him. “What’s wrong? Not that you have to hold my hand. It’s okay to say no. Are you okay?” 

Jack wasn’t sure what was wrong. He wanted to hold Atlas’s hand. It had felt nice before. This time it just felt like his hand was trapped. He didn’t like the feeling of someone else’s hand just sitting in his, which was strange, seeing as he’d held Atlas’s hand before without a problem.

“I’m okay.” He spoke softly. He’d need water when they got back. His throat tired quickly after not speaking for so long. “I just..” He wasn’t sure how to explain but Atlas stopped him.

“It’s alright. You don’t even need a reason. You’re always allowed to say no.” He made no effort to touch Jack or reclaim his hand. Jack felt absolutely over the moon. Was everyone this kind? Atlas seemed like a saint compared to Fontaine. Not that Fontaine had ever tried to hold his hand. Still, Atlas was incredible. 

They made it to the bathysphere and Atlas sat with at least two feet of space between him and Jack. However, when Jack closed the distance between them Atlas happily swung an arm around him. They sat pressed together as the sphere took them back home. Jack wanted to stay sitting there forever. It was such a relief to have everything off his chest. For once, he had absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Sure, there was still the looming threat of Fontaine, but he hadn’t found them yet, and it had been weeks. Even longer for Atlas. And here in their little sphere, traveling through the ocean, even Fontaine couldn’t touch them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hurt Jack a lot. So now I hurt Atlas. Also Tenenbaum's in this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update after the holidays. You guys are amazing and just the absolute best at being supportive. I also want to start responding to comments, I'm not sure why I didn't before. You're all incredible, thank you so much!

Things were different now. Not, Jack thought, different in a bad way. They were just different. Atlas stopped staring at Jack when he wasn’t looking. Jack hadn’t even noticed it happening till it stopped. Jack spoke some. Atlas never forced him to speak if he didn’t want to, but he’d ask more open ended questions to encourage him. The biggest change was where they slept. Sure, they’d shared the bed a few times, but it was an unspoken understanding that they slept together now. 

The first night Jack had taken Atlas’s sleeve and stared at the floor. “Sleep with me?” Atlas had grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Jack smiled. It was small but it was still there. That night there were no nightmares for either of them and come morning they found themselves tangled together in a mess of blankets. 

From there on out they shared the bed every night. Atlas’s back was glad for it as the couch was just a few inches too short. Of course Mcgregor decided he’d share the bed with them too. They convinced him to at least sleep at the foot of the bed and not draped over one of their faces. The first few nights they’d start out laying apart and only shift together in their sleep. As the days went by they grew more comfortable and Jack decided he liked Atlas’s chest more than the available pillows. They fell into a comfortable rhythm together and for a while there were no more surprises. 

Almost no more. After nearly two weeks Atlas came to a realization. They were sitting in comfortable silence across the table from each other when he jumped up with a shout.

“Tenenbaum!” Jack startled and brought his arms up in a defensive position, lowering them a moment after and giving Atlas a questioning look. “Tenenbaum.” He repeated. She and Suchong worked on you, right? On the, conditioning?” Atlas was always hesitant to bring up would you kindly around Jack, which Jack appreciated greatly. “If she was part of making it, maybe she can fix it.” 

Jack frowned. “Fix it?” 

Atlas nodded, obviously excited. “Undo it. Get rid of it. Cure it.” Jack felt his eyes widen. He’d assumed he’d spend his whole life worrying about someone learning to control him. Could Tenenbaum really undo the conditioning? “She’s still in Rapture.” Atlas continued. “Trying to keep all the little sisters safe. I imagine she’d be grateful to you for helping them, and if she feels bad for what she did to them she must feel awful about you.” 

It was solid reasoning and Jack couldn’t help but be excited. “Can you find her?” 

Atlas’s grin grew broader. “She’s got a safe house under Olympus heights. I can get us there.” 

Jack’s heart swelled. This was incredible. He was almost scared to be this excited, there was no telling if Tenenbaum would be able to help. Still, she was a genius, and Jack couldn’t help but let himself hope. If this worked it would be the best thing that had ever happened to him. Atlas was already up and throwing some food in a bag. 

“Grab your gun and let’s go! On your feet Jack!” He paused to look at him. “Unless you don’t want to go right now.” Jack shook his head and jumped up. The sooner the better. He raced into the bedroom to grab his gun from its place next to the bed. Fighting to keep the wild smile off his face Jack gave Mcgregor a farewell pat and met met Atlas at the front door. This was too good to be true.

Jack had to fight to keep from running to the Bathysphere. The walk took longer than it ever had. Atlas would’ve likely run with him if he’d decided to take off sprinting, but Jack wanted to maintain some sense of control over his excitement. 

When they were finally seated and on their way Jack couldn’t keep still. He bounced his leg and wrung his hands together. After a few minutes Atlas reached out put a hand on his knee. 

“You alright?” Jack met Atlas’s gaze. “You seem nervous.” Jack shook his head. He wasn’t nervous just, apprehensive. He was fine. Atlas didn’t seem to buy it. “I’m sure Tenenbaum will be able to fix you up just fine.” He offered Jack a smile. Jack smiled back, dizzy with excitement and nerves. He took Atlas’s hand and leaned his head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling. Tenenbaum could fix things.

The sphere docked and they clambered out. Jack was all alight with excitement. They moved cautiously forward, keeping an eye out for splicers. Jack kept a fist full of lightning in one hand and his gun in the other. He still missed the feeling of something to swing, a weight in his hand the gun just didn’t replicate. 

They exited the bathysphere room with no trouble. Jack looked around. The area didn’t seem to fit with what he’d heard about Olympus heights. There were bodies strung up on display. Atlas noticed his confusion. 

“Welcome to Apollo square.” He spoke grimly. “We get to Olympus heights through there.” He pointed under an archway. “This is where those of us who couldn’t afford a fancy place got stuck. People starving and begging in the streets.” Atlas looked mad. Jack gently squeezed Atlas’s arm, trying to catch his eye. Atlas seemed to come back to himself and met Jack’s gaze. “Sorry.” He looked away. “I watched a whole lot of awful things happen here.” Jack nodded, even though Atlas wasn’t watching.

“You did a lot of good things too.” He kept his voice soft. “You helped people. You gave them hope.” He kept his hand on Atlas’s arm. 

“At what cost?” Atlas whipped back to face Jack, pulling his arm away in the process. “How many people died because of me?” He was shouting now. “How many other families did I rip apart?” Jack flinched back at the shouting, but forced himself to breath. 

“Atlas-”

“Jack there’s no excuse! I got people killed in a failed civil war that ultimately put Fontaine in a spot of power again. There’s no bright side to that.” Atlas looked tired. Tired and angry. Jack wanted him to stop looking like that. He also really wanted the shouting to stop. Before he could speak up again to try and calm Atlas they both heard a loud whoop and the sound of a gunshot. 

Instantly they were both on alert. It wasn’t hard to find the splicer, he was barreling towards the pair of them. Atlas raised his gun but Jack was faster and shot off an arc of lightning. He smiled despite the situation. He forgot how good it felt to do that. Atlas fired off his shot straight into the splicer’s forehead and he crumpled to the ground. 

Atlas gave Jack a sheepish look. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have been yelling.” He ran a hand over his face. “I’m sorry.” Jack smiled and squeezed his arm again. No hard feelings. “We should get moving. No point staying here longer than necessary.” Jack fully agreed with that. They turned away from the now dead splicer and headed out under the arch way. Jack kept his grip on Atlas’s arm, he wasn’t quite ready to let go. 

They walked down the filthy street together, stepping over a few corpses on the way. Jack knelt down to search the bodies while Atlas watched. “Anything useful?” Jack shrugged, straightening up with a few dollars and a candy bar. A minute later they arrived in an intersection with a few vending machines. Jack went over to one, reaching around its side to pop off a panel and reach into the wiring. He felt Atlas’s eyes on his back.

“What’re you doing there?” 

“Hacking.” He frowned in concentration. 

“You know how to hack these things?” Atlas sounded impressed. “That’s a useful skill.” Jack nodded. It certainly came in handy. A few more bents wires and tubes and he was in. Jack stood up to look at what the machine offered. It sold Eve and Jack didn’t hesitate to buy as many hypos as he could afford, which was only two. Still, he felt better knowing he could use more plasmids. 

Once Jack was done with the vending machine Atlas led him down a small stairwell to a closed door. “Think you can lift it?” Jack looked at the door. It looked like a simple garage door, it didn’t seem like it would pose a problem. Jack steadied his feet and then focused. He felt the right plasmid flow into his hand and he targeted the door, making a lifting motion. He’d never used telekinesis on a door but it worked just fine. The door lifted enough for he and Atlas to slip through. Once they were on the other side Jack let the door fall shut behind them.

Jack took a look around. There was another door with a smaller little sister door on the bottom. The door they’d come in through had a broken winch system on this side. There were no other ways in or out. 

Atlas headed straight for the door and pounded on it twice. “Tenenbaum! Open up!” Jack went to stand next to Atlas. “C’mon I’m here with Jack. I know you don’t like me but you owe him enough to at least open the door!” Jack looked curiously at Atlas. Tenenbaum didn’t like him? He’d have to ask about that later. 

There was a faint noise behind the door and then it swung open a crack. After a moment it opened the rest of the way. Tenenbaum was standing behind it with a gun in one hand and a cigarette in the other. “Come in, quickly. Were you followed?” She stepped back to let them through. As soon as they were in she closed the door. 

“No one followed us, relax.” Atlas sounded mildly irritated as he looked around. “How many of those kids do you have in here?” 

Tenenbaum waved a hand vaguely towards him, hushing him while she turned to Jack. “I am glad you are safe. The little ones tell me you have helped a great number of them, and for this I am grateful.” She seemed to be appraising him. Jack shrunk a little, suddenly remembering bright lights and white coats. Cold metal and that voice, along with others. He must have looked distressed because Atlas gripped his arm, mimicking what Jack had done for him earlier. 

“You alright?” He shook Jack gently until he seemed to snap out of it. Jack blinked and looked around again. There were no bright lights and certainly nothing clean and white. Tenenbaum was standing in front of him. She had the same look Atlas sometimes had, tired and sad, like she’d seen too much. 

“I am sorry for what was done to you, and for my part in it.” Tenenbaum looked genuinely sorry and concerned. Jack nodded. He didn’t hold a grudge against her. She’d done bad things, sure, but she was trying to make up for them. She was kind, and it wasn’t like Jack hadn’t hurt people. He’d crashed a plane for christ sake. He realized Tenenbaum was speaking again and snapped to attention.

“If you are here it means you want something from me.” She was looking at him, not Atlas. “I will help you if I can. What is it you need?” Atlas stepped forward to stand next to Jack, not enjoying being ignored. 

“He needs you to cure him. Of the conditioning.” He spoke carefully, but he sounded angry. “You did it to him, so can you fix him?” Jack looked at Atlas in shock. Did Atlas blame Tenenbaum for what happened to him? 

Tenenbaum looked sad again. “I will do what I can. I am sorry for what was done to you.” 

“You’re sorry?” Atas was shouting. “Do you have any idea what happened to him? What Fontaine did? If you hadn’t gone around in his head and made it so he couldn’t fight back none of that would’ve happened! I’ve seen him in a fight! You made him helpless and then just let that monster take him and you’re sorry?!” Atlas looked ready to throw a punch. Tenenbaum stepped back, her face hardening. 

Jack felt his chest go tight. He needed Atlas to stop. It was too loud, too much. The room was too small for so much noise. He was shaking. His breathing sped up even as he tried to control it. He needed Atlas to stop. The room felt like it was shrinking and it was so loud. 

Suddenly there was an arm on his shoulder, pulling him away. He looked up from the floor to see Tenenbaum. She had pulled Jack behind her and now stood between Jack and Atlas. Her posture radiated fury. 

“Idiot! Lower your voice.” She snapped but she didn’t yell. “Can’t you see you are scaring him?” Atlas looked like he was going to keep yelling at her, but then he looked over her shoulder at Jack. Immediately Atlas shut his mouth. He still looked angry, but he didn’t keep yelling. He visibly took a few breaths before speaking.

He made eye contact with Jack. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have lost it like that. Are you alright Jacky?” Atlas was still tense, but he seemed slightly calmer. Jack nodded. He was fine. That was a lie, but it would be okay. Atlas didn’t seem to buy it. He moved carefully forward past Tenenbaum to Jack. “I’m sorry.” He moved slowly to put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. Jack nodded again. He knew.

Atlas stepped back, slightly raising his hands in surrender when he caught Tenenbaum still glaring at him. Jack spoke up. “You’ll try to fix me?” 

Tenenbaum looked sad. She ran a hand through Jack’s hair affectionately, brushing it out of his face. “There is no fixing what is not broken. There is nothing wrong with who you are. I will do what I can to undo the conditioning, but you are not in need of fixing.”

Jack felt himself beaming. Tenenbaum’s approval meant a lot for some reason. Maybe because she was the closest living equivalent to a mom he had. “Thank you.” He smiled. 

Tenenbaum turned and walked further into the safe house. Jack and Atlas followed. Several little sisters peered at them from where they were playing. Jack smiled at them and they seemed to recognize him, chattering excitedly about “the one who saved them”. Jack flushed a little, unused to being praised so much. 

One little girl was bouncing a ball against the wall. She lost control and the ball began rolling away. Jack stooped down to stop it and rolled the ball back to the girl. She looked thrilled. “Thank you mister!” She scooped up the ball and padded off on her bare feet. Jack watched her go until Atlas put a hand on his shoulder and drew his attention. “You coming boyo?” 

Jack shook himself and nodded, turning back to follow Tenenbaum. They walked past a few metal bunk beds and came to a door into a room with a large window separating it from the rest of the safe house. Tenenbaum paused in the door frame. “Atlas, you will need to wait outside. Be kind to the little ones.” 

Jack and Atlas exchanged a look. Of course Jack trusted Tenenbaum, but he didn’t like the idea of going into this alone, whatever ‘this’ entailed. “I’m not leaving him alone.” Atlas wasn’t yelling, but his voice was firm. Tenenbaum frowned.

“If you distract or disrupt my work it could result in severe damage to his brain. You will wait outside and I will fetch you when I am done.” Atlas opened his mouth to retort but Jack squeezed his hand to get his attention. Atlas looked at him and Jack shook his head. 

“I’ll be alright.” He let go of Atlas’s hand and stepped through the door with Tenenbaum. 

Atlas was clearly less than thrilled, but he wasn’t going to argue with Jack. “Holler if you need me, you hear?” Jack nodded and then turned to follow Tenenbaum further into the room. The door swished shut behind him and he tried not to be too nervous. Whatever she needed to do would be worth it if it meant no more conditioning. 

The room had some drawers, a desk, and two beds. A little sister lay in one of them, holding her stomach. The room had a medical feeling to it that Jack didn’t like. He still had nightmares of white lights and cold metal. The room was certainly less clean than the ones in his memory, but he found it distressing nonetheless. 

“Lay here.” Tenenbaum gestured to the empty bed as she drew a curtain over the window. Jack sat gingerly on the bed. What if this was a mistake? What if something went wrong? He felt his gut tightening. He didn’t want to be here. Tenenbaum must have sensed his discomfort because she came back over and slowly guided him to laying down. 

“You will sleep the whole time. Once I am done we will see if you are free from the conditioning.” She smiled and brushed the hair out of his face again. “It will be alright. I am one of Rapture’s finest minds.” She said it with a tone that Jack couldn’t help but laugh at. She laughed a little too and seemed pleased as she stepped away. She returned a moment later with a syringe which she brought to his arm. “This will make you sleep. When you are awake it will be over.” 

She gently pushed the needle into his arm and Jack watched the clear liquid inside be pushed into his arm. At first Jack didn’t feel any different and he worriedly sat up. A moment later the edges of his vision clouded and he felt himself slipping back into the pillow below him. He was dimly aware of Tenenbaum setting the empty syringe down and returning to him, but then his eyes drifted shut and he lost himself in sleep.

\------

Atlas had taken to pacing once Tenenbaum had drawn the curtain. He trusted she didn’t want to hurt Jack, she was trying to make up for past mistakes, and he’d be a hypocrite to hold that against her. He just couldn’t fully trust her after learning she’d worked for Fontaine. So here he was pacing back and forth with dozens of little girls staring at him like he was some sort of lunatic or monster. Of course, maybe to them he was.

Atlas had done a lot of things he wasn’t proud of during the war. Hell, everyone had except maybe for Ryan. Bastard didn’t care who got hurt so long as it wasn’t him. Still, even if everyone’s morals had gone straight to hell, it didn’t excuse what he’d done. Honestly he was surprised Tenenbaum was even willing to leave him alone with the kids. He’d encouraged his people to harvest them. He’d held a little squirming girl in his hands and ripped her open. 

Atlas stopped pacing and shut his eyes. Dwelling on the past wouldn’t help anyone. He reopened his eyes and glanced back at the window, the curtains were still drawn. Unless Jack had to be naked Atlas saw no reason Tenenbaum needed to block of the room from his view. He had a hunch she was doing it to spite him, but then again he probably deserved it. He’d killed the girls Tenenbaum thought of as daughters. 

With a resigned sigh Atlas sat down on one of the rickety beds. The mattress was lumpy but he supposed it was the best Tenenbaum could find. A small voice spoke up from across the room. 

“That’s mine.” A blonde little sister was pointing accusingly at him. Atlas raised an eyebrow. 

“Is this your bed?” The girl nodded, standing and crossing her arms over her chest. A few other girls stood up with her. Atlas raised his hands in surrender. “I’m just waiting for my friend to be done. Is it alright if I wait here?” The girl seemed to consider this. She turned away from Atlas and conversed with the three other girls around her. They turned back after a minute of whispering.

“You have to play with us.” The first girl announced. Atlas felt his eyebrows shoot up, he hadn’t been expecting that. “Mr. B is having a tea party and you need to come.” The girl gestured to a big daddy doll and then puffed out her cheeks and tried to look firm. Atlas fought back a laugh. There was no way he was having a tea party for a stuffed big daddy. 

“Sorry, I’ll have to decline.” He stood up off the bed, preferring pacing to a tea party. 

“Awwwww.” All the girls whined in perfect unison. “You have to play with us. We have five cups and only four for the party. Mama Tenenbaum’s too busy to play.” One of the other girls, brown haired this time, padded over to him and tugged on his sleeve. “You have to play.” Atlas looked down at her. The last thing he wanted to do was upset the girls and cause Tenenbaum to come out and yell at him. It seemed he was going to a tea party.

Atlas let the girl tug him back to the makeshift party. The girls sat in a circle with a few broken cups and plates. True to their word they had places for five people and only four little girls. “Couldn’t you ask one of your friends to be at the party instead?” Atlas crouched down in front of one of the places that had been set. 

The blonde girl shook her head. “Mama Tenenbaum always comes to our parties but she’s busy so you gotta come instead.” She spoke as though it were the most factual thing in the world. Atlas decided there was no escaping his fate and sat all the way down. The girls started chattering and laughing, pretending to sip tea from their empty cups. Atlas did his best to tune them out but the girl next to him was having none of that.

“What’s your name mister?” She poked him in the side when he didn’t immediately answer. Atlas frowned and lightly batted her hand away. 

“It’s Atlas.” He hesitated a moment before asking, “What’s yours?” The girl’s face broke into a grin. 

“I’m Linda and I’m six!” She seemed very proud of this and held up six fingers to demonstrate. Atlas smiled a little. 

“Six are you?” He couldn’t help being friendly with her. He did like kids, and even his guilt couldn’t keep him from playing along with the girls now that they were all sitting together. “You sure know your numbers.” Linda nodded vigorously. 

“I can count to twenty!” She began counting on her fingers. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, even, twelve, threeteen, fourteen, fiveteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty.”

Atlas couldn’t help but laugh. “Did Tenenbaum teach you how to count?”

“Yeah!” Linda looked very proud. 

“It’s eleven!” Another girl spoke up. “Ten eleven twelve!” 

“Shut up Nancy!” Linda frowned and blushed. 

“Woah.” Atlas intervened. “Let’s not tell people to shut up. You’re still learning how to count, that’s all. You made it all the way to twenty, that was impressive. You’re very smart for your age.” Linda beamed and Nancy stuck her tongue out. Atlas didn’t feel like correcting the rest of her numbers. 

“Why don’t we all calm down and... have tea?” He suggested. Linda and Nancy settled back down and the happy chatter returned. The girls passed plates around and pretended to feed their doll.

Atlas couldn’t help watching the scene. While he’d definitely prefer to be doing something else he had to admit it was cute. No matter how he tried to distance himself from children he still missed being a father. Children made his chest ache with memory. The girls went on with their party, oblivious to Atlas’s discomfort. 

Patrick had had a stuffed bear he’d pretend to feed. Mr. Bear had liked cake and hated vegetables, just like Patrick. Atlas felt suddenly like he was being stabbed in the heart, watching the little sisters pretend to feed Mr. B. He felt himself blinking back tears and shook his head angrily. These girls weren’t his Patrick. He had no reason to feel like this. Desperately Atlas tried to squash down the ache in his chest. 

Dimly, Atlas realised the girls had started singing. He recognized the tune. “Mr. Bubbles Mr. Bubbles are you there? Are you there? Come and bring me lollies, come and bring me toffees. Teddy bears teddy bears” 

The words were changed but Atlas knew the song. He felt his breath catch in his throat. Memories flashed in his eyes, a slideshow of his mistakes. The girls haunting voices changed to Moira’s beautiful one. Moira singing Patrick to sleep. Moira singing in the kitchen in the morning. Moira singing softly to calm Patrick from a nightmare. Moira singing through her tears as they all hid from the fighting in the street. Moira, Moira, Moira!

Atlas pressed his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. He was a grown man and he was not going to cry in front of a bunch of children. Forcing himself to breathe, Atlas opened his eyes and stood up, turning quickly away from the makeshift party. He could hear the girls complaining behind him but he didn’t care. They could find someone else to play with. 

Atlas rushed away from the girls, not caring if he was upsetting them. He couldn’t breathe. He needed to get out, to get away from the children and the awful memories they brought. Against his better judgement he left the safehouse. He needed to get away. He couldn’t stay there. Not with those memories. 

The space outside was quieter. He let his breathing calm. He walked. He breathed. He payed no attention to where he was going. He barely saw what was in front of him. He just walked. After awhile he realized he wasn’t quite sure where he was. An apartment of some sort. He was amazed he hadn’t encountered any splicers yet. Looking around he seemed to be in someone’s kitchen. There was a sparking fridge against the wall. A stove stood open in the corner, someone had already ransacked it. There were a few stained counters and nothing else of much interest. 

Atlas sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, surprised when it came away wet. He hadn’t noticed he’d been crying. His chest still ached, but he wasn’t being assaulted with memories anymore. He scrubbed at his eyes to clear them and then turned to find the way out. He needed to get back to Jack. What had he been thinking? What if Tenenbaum finished whatever she was doing to Jack and he wasn’t there. Jack would have no idea why he left. 

Atlas left the apartment at a light jog. Not so fast he made too much noise, but still hurried. He needed to get back to Jack. He found himself in a stairwell over a tall open room. He was two floors up. He took the stairs two at a time and hurried out. He recognized his surroundings. He was pretty sure he was in Mercury Suites. If he just followed the street a ways he could make it back to the safe house and everything would be fine. He just had to steer clear of splicers on the way. 

It was easy at first, almost too easy. He should’ve encountered someone by now, but there were only corpses. He was nearly halfway there when the calm was shattered. There was shrieking and shouting from all around him. He whipped around to see if he could find the source. The corpses were moving. Not all of them, but as he looked around the street he counted at least five splicers up and moving. They’d been pretending to be dead. It was an ambush. Atlas cursed himself for being so stupid. 

Atlas drew his gun and sent off a shot into the first splicer. She crumpled but another took her place. A hook grazed his side and he hissed in pain, turning to shoot at the one who’d hit him. The splicer back flipped away but Atlas got him in the leg. He fell mid flip, cursing. A gun went off somewhere behind him. Atlas turned to fire off another shot but froze at the sudden burst of warmth from his side. He looked down, shocked to see red blooming across his shirt. It didn’t hurt. All he felt was warmth, it didn’t seem real. Then his legs gave out.

Time slowed as Atlas crashed to his knees, gasping. Strangely, he wasn’t afraid. There was a sort of calmness surrounding his thoughts. Was he dying? He thought for a moment that he was, but then shook his head. He couldn’t be dying, not yet. He’d only been shot in the side. He had time to get help. He’d be okay if he could just get up. With that thought time caught up with him.

One of the splicers, he wasn't sure which one, kicked him in the back. He fell onto his face with a groan. He needed to get up. He rolled to his back and fired a shot into the splicer above him. The splicer crumpled and Atlas pushed himself up to sitting. A bullet hit the ground where his head had been a second earlier. 

A third splicer shrieked and swung a length of pipe at Atlas. It connected with his skull and all Atlas could hear was a ringing. He shut his eyes with a grimace, big mistake. The pipe came down again on his ribs, knocking the breath out of him. He struggled to pull in air as the pipe hit him again in the head. He fell onto his back, gritting his teeth at the impact. He didn’t move to get up again. 

He could hear the splicers somewhere above him, circling and bickering. Someone pried his gun from his hand, he made no attempt to fight them. Someone was pawing at his shirt, patting him down for anything he had. Joke was on them, he’d left home with nothing but a gun. Dimly, he wondered if they’d just shoot him again when they were done. Apparently they didn’t want to waste the bullet though, because he felt the hands leave him and heard the splicers retreat. He stayed in his spot on the ground. 

Atlas had no idea how long he lay there. He could feel his blood cooling underneath him even as more trickled out of him. He was pretty sure his head was bleeding too, but was too tired to check. He couldn’t even open his eyes. Some small part of him told him he had to get up. That he had to make it back. Back to who? Moira was dead, Patrick was dead. There was no one to go back to. Maybe he’d get to see them again, if he died here. That didn’t sound so bad. 

He had no idea how long he lay there, drifting in and out. All he knew was that he wasn’t quite dead yet. He was still trapped in his own undersea hell. Why couldn’t he die? It was like a small part of him was holding on, it wouldn’t let him go yet. It didn’t hurt. Everything felt strange and fuzzy, like he was floating. He opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. It was hazy above him. He could almost convince himself it was the sky. Dying under the sky wouldn’t be so bad. He just had to let go and he could see them again. He could hold his son again. 

He shut his eyes again as he felt himself start to drift. He would see them again. Patrick. Moira. Jack. His eyes flew open. Jack! He had to get back to Jack. 

Atlas gasped in a lungful of air and pushed himself up. He instantly regretted moving so fast as the world spun and his head began aching horribly. He pressed his eyes shut and groaned. After a minute he accepted that the throbbing in his head wasn’t going away and reopened his eyes. 

Everything hurt. His side burned like hell. It wasn’t his first time getting shot, but he didn’t think he’d ever just be able to shake off a bullet. He looked down at his side and grimaced. His shirt was plastered to his side with blood. It was dark and when he pressed lightly on it he nearly fell back down. That wasn’t good. How long had he let himself bleed like that? How could he be so stupid?

Standing up was going to hurt. There was no fooling himself. He set his jaw and began raising himself up to standing. It hurt. His whole body screamed and his legs nearly gave out on him. As soon as he was up he stumbled to the glass wall, bracing himself against it. He forced himself to draw in breath. His chest ached with each inhale. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of his ribs was broken. 

He stayed leaning against the wall for a good minute, biting back grunts of pain as his breathing got back to normal. Finally he forced himself to take a step. He kept his hand and shoulder on the wall but still managed to drag himself forward. His side screamed in protest but he forced himself to grit his teeth and take another step. Slowly but surely he moved himself down the street. His legs shook but he kept going. Looking back he could see blood on the floor marking the way he’d come. 

Atlas wasn’t sure how long he’d walked. It felt like ages but looking back he’d only made it a few yards. His legs finally gave out beneath him and he sank to the ground, panting heavily. He pressed his hand against his side, in an almost morbid curiosity to see if it still hurt. It did, and he pulled his hand away with a hiss. 

Atlas allowed himself to sit until his head wasn’t spinning quiet as much, then he forced himself back to standing. He stumbled forward as far as he could. Hand sliding desperately against the wall, searching for a hand hold. His hand was slick with his own blood now, and it left its own bloody trail across the glass as he went, until he needed to rest again. He continued this process of stumbling and resting more times than he could count. 

Finally he looked up to see he had dragged himself to the safe house door. He took a breath of relief, though the breath was more of a gurgle. He opened his mouth, ready to call for help, but all that came out was a choked gasp of pain. His vision was blacking out again. As a last ditch effort Atlas threw himself against the door. He stumbled backwards from the impact and his legs gave out again. The last thing he heard before he passed out was a child’s voice. Patrick? He fought to open his eyes. “Patrick….” Everything went dark.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atlas is awake and Tenenbaum is pissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long! Theater started up again and we're doing a musical. Super fun but super time consuming. Don't worry, I know how this fic ends and by damn I'm going to finish it. I just need all of you to be patient with me. Thank you all for the support you've given me. I know this chapter is short but as always, feedback is super appreciated.

The first thing Atlas noticed was that he wasn’t dead. The next thing he noticed was that his back and head were killing him. Then he realized his entire body was killing him and all he could feel was pain. A few more moments and he was able to open his eyes and suck in a lungful of air. He was lying on his back in a bed, staring up at a concrete ceiling. He shut his eyes again against the pain, waiting a moment. Finally he rolled to his side, not the one he was shot in, and opened his eyes again. 

Tenenbaum’s safe house. They must have found him outside the door. He let out a huff of relief. Atlas allowed himself another moment of stillness before attempting to sit up. Immediately his head began throbbing worse than ever and his side screamed in pain. He collapsed back down with a grunt. As his back came back in contact with the bed he discovered that there was no mattress beneath him, just a metal bed frame. He shut his eyes again and groaned, the breath knocked out of him. 

“Ah good. You are awake.” Atlas squeezed his eyes tighter shut. Tenenbaum. Shit. He thought for a moment that maybe if he’d kept his eyes shut she’d leave. He had no such luck. “You were stupid to leave. I would have left you to bleed outside if your body would not have given us away.” 

Atlas forced his eyes open again. “You might as well have left me with the way this bed is treating my back. Couldn’t even spare a pillow?” He knew he shouldn’t be angry, it was his own fault he’d left and found trouble. Still, he couldn’t help but feel bitter. It was obvious she hadn’t put much effort into his care.

“I’ll not have my little ones suffer from your own stupidity.” She sounded cross but not furious. “I removed the bullet and stitched the wound shut. You need rest but everything will heal quite quickly.” 

Atlas made a second attempt to sit up and was successful with the help of the headboard behind him. “Where’s Jack?” He could worry about his own injuries later. “Did everything go alright?”

Tenenbaum softened. “Yes. He is still sleeping off the effects of the drug, but he should wake soon.” Her eyes hardened again. “It would have broke his heart to wake up and find you gone.” 

Atlas lowered his gaze. He knew leaving had been reckless, he just wished Tenenbaum would drop it. Still, another part of him felt like he deserved it. He had no idea what would happen to Jack if he’d died. Sure, Tenenbaum would make sure he was alright but it would still be awful. Another thought struck him. Would Jack be mad? Atlas had done something stupid and nearly died. Jack would have every right to be pissed. Atlas had never seen Jack angry before and to be honest the thought of it scared him. 

Atlas looked up when Tenenbaum moved to sit next to him. She put a hand on his back and Atlas tensed. This was really unusual behavior for her. She was neutral towards him at best. 

“I..” Tenenbaum trailed off before starting again. Atlas could tell whatever she was saying wasn’t easy. “I have done many things that I regret. The things I did to my little ones. All the girls that died on that table.” She stopped again. “There are things you must simply accept. You have done bad things, this is true. But you can move forward from these things. You are good for him. For Jack.” She paused. “We have our differences and feelings towards one another but I am glad he has you. But do not hurt him.” She emphasized each word of the last sentence while fixing Atlas with a fierce look. 

Atlas held his hands up. “Easy. I understand. And I don’t want to hurt Jack. All I’ve wanted to do since I met him was keep him safe. I swear I’m not going to hurt him. But it’s good to know you’ll look out for him if anything happens to me. I mean, you will won’t you?” 

Tenenbaum smiled at him, she actually smiled. At Atlas. He was shocked. “I will always ‘look out for him’ whether you are alive or not. Do not forget that he can look after himself as well. He is stronger than both of us.”

Atlas nodded. “I’ve actually been wondering something that you could maybe clear up.” He waited for Tenenbaum to nod before continuing. “He told me he’s only four years old. Is that true? I mean, is he a child?”

Tenenbaum looked sad. “It is true he is not yet five years old, but he is not a child. He had his chance to be a child stolen from him. He has all the brain processing of an adult. Do you ask this for the reason I think you do?” She raised an eyebrow meaningfully. 

Atlas nearly choked. “No! Christ no! I mean,” He put a hand to his forehead while he calmed himself. “No, I don’t want to- I mean- Look Fontaine was horrible to him. I don’t know all of what happened but he’s still traumatized. He pretends like everything’s fine now but I think he still has nightmares some nights that he doesn’t tell me about. I just want to keep him safe.” 

Tenenbaum didn’t look convinced. Atlas sighed. “Okay, so maybe sometimes I want to kiss him. But I swear to you I’d never do even that. Not without his permission anyway. I promise. I really just want to keep him safe.”

Tenenbaum nodded. “This I believe, but have you considered that he may not say no to you? He would do anything for you, this I can see. If you asked him for something he did not want to give you I believe he would give it to you regardless of how he feels.” Her voice was surprisingly soft, not accusatory. Maybe they could have a truce with each other for Jack’s sake. 

“I understand. I swear I won’t do anything to him. I won’t even kiss him. I just want to keep him safe.” Atlas meant every word he said. He never wanted to hurt Jack. Tenenbaum seemed satisfied. 

“I am glad he has you.” She repeated herself. 

“I’m glad I have him.” Atlas gave a sort of half smile. “Honestly I think I need him more than he needs me at this point.” 

Tenenbaum’s eye crinkled. “He will be awake soon. You should be able to walk. I have used Adam to speed the healing process.” 

Atlas was surprised she’d do that for him. “Thanks. Thank you.” He made eye contact briefly, trying to convey that he really was grateful. She seemed to understand because she smiled. 

“Jack is sleeping over there. Tenenbaum pointed off to a darker corner where there weren’t little sisters playing. Atlas nodded gratefully and slowly stood up. It wasn’t easy, and it certainly wasn’t painless, but he made his way carefully across the room to Jack’s bed.

The first thing Atlas noticed was that Jack had a pillow and a mattress on his bed. He laughed at that and then doubled over in pain, regretting his choice. He caught himself on the edge of Jack’s mattress and sunk slowly to the ground. He waited a moment on the floor before pulling himself back up. Tenenbaum’s kindness showed again, there was a chair pulled up to the side of the bed. Atlas gratefully sank into the chair and took a look at Jack. 

Jack was sleeping in the bed, a white sheet covered most of him, he seemed to be fully dressed though. Atlas was relieved to see the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He had no idea what Tenenbaum might have done to him. There were no obvious incisions and none of his head had been shaved for easy access. Atlas shrugged it off, he didn’t care what she’d done so long as it had worked. 

Atlas watched Jack for a bit before his eyelids got heavy. He caught himself drifting off multiple times and each time he forced himself awake again. Eventually he had lost count of how many times he’d nearly dozed off and lay his head on Jack’s mattress, shutting his eyes and letting himself sleep. 

Atlas wasn’t sure how much later it was when he woke up. It couldn’t have been too long because he was still exhausted. He sat up quickly, looking for what had woken him up. It wasn’t hard to figure out. Jack was moving. He’d curled slightly into himself and now he was rolling onto his other side. Atlas smiled, watching him. He quickly changed to frowning when Jack let out a small whimper. Looking closer Atlas saw Jack was frowning as well. He looked scared. 

“Jack?” Atlas shook Jack by the shoulder. He’d seen Jack having nightmares before and had no doubt that was what this was. Jack groaned and pulled away from Atlas’s touch. “Jack!” Atlas tried again, louder this time. He grabbed Jack’s shoulder again but Jack just pulled away. Atlas tried for a third time and got a tighter grip on Jack. “Jack!” He shook him roughly now, more concerned with waking him up than being gentle. 

Jack groaned and rolled over, but opened his eyes. He squinted, momentarily disoriented before he looked over his shoulder at Atlas. He sat up quickly, taking in Atlas’s appearance, the fresh blood on his shirt. Jack reached out and touched the darkest part of the stain, giving Atlas a questioning look. Atlas sighed.

“I got attacked.” He hoped that would be enough but Jack was still looking at him. “I left. I just couldn’t stay here. The girls were singing and..” He trailed off. It sounded stupid now that he was trying to explain it. It certainly hadn’t been worth nearly dying over. Atlas sat on the edge of Jack’s bed. “I was stupid, and I left, and I got shot. I’ll be okay though. I’m more worried about you. Do you feel alright?” 

Atlas seemed to have been successful in changing the topic. Jack looked down at his lap, folding his hands together. Another of the little things he did when he was nervous or upset. Atlas reached out and placed his hand on top of Jack’s. “You looked like you were having a nightmare. Do you want to tell me about it?” 

Jack set his mouth in a line, thinking. “I remember doctors. Sharp things and white walls.” He shuddered. “I don’t like remembering.” 

Atlas nodded. “I understand. Sometimes there’s things I wish I could forget. But the bad times are part of who you are. I know it’s not something that’s pleasant to think about, but even the things you don’t want to remember are important. They make you you.” 

Jack slowly looked up at him. “But I wasn’t me. I was just a tool for other people. Fontaine’s toy. I wasn’t real.” 

“And who are you now?”

“I’m Jack. I’m my own person.” 

Atlas smiled at him. “Jack, even the part of your past that doesn’t feel like you, is you. You have to take it back from them. Fontaine doesn’t own any of your life. It’s all yours.” He squeezed the hand under his. 

Jack nodded, staying quiet. He seemed done talking for now. Atlas straightened his back, sitting to look Jack in the eye. “Do you know if it worked yet?” 

Jack tilted his head, not sure what Atlas meant. 

“What ever Tenenbaum did. To undo the conditioning. Did it work?” Atlas tried not to sound too excited. He knew there wasn’t a guarantee it had worked and he didn’t want to get Jack excited only to dash all his hopes. 

Jack looked scared. He shook his head and Atlas felt his heart sink. “It didn’t work?” Jack shook his head again. “You don’t know.” Jack nodded. Atlas let out a small breath of relief. There was still a chance it had worked. “Do you want to find out?” 

Jack nodded slowly. If he’d looked scared before he seemed terrified now. He gave Atlas a small smile, wobbly and uncertain. Atlas nodded seriously. “Right. So should I just tell you to do something then?” He wasn’t sure what Jack would feel okay with. Jack nodded his agreement though, so Atlas stood off the bed and tried to think of a question. After a moment he let out a breath. “Would you kindly stand up?”

Jack flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. He clenched his fists, waiting. Too scared to open his eyes. If he opened then and found himself standing he didn’t know what he’d do. It would mean he’d be stuck like this forever. There’d be no way to undo Fontaine’s control. On the other hand, if by some miracle he was still sitting then that would change everything. Jack felt his hands shake as he slowly opened his eyes. He was still sitting.

Jack and Atlas made eye contact and for a long moment neither of them moved, frozen and waiting, wanting to know that it was real, that Jack was free. Then Jack’s face slowly broke into what he was sure was the widest he’d ever smiled. Atlas’s face mirrored his, disbelief and joy shining in both their eyes. They both stared at each other, grinning like maniacs before Atlas broke the silence. 

“Tenenbaum you mad genius I could kiss you right now!” For once Jack didn’t flinch from the yelling. He stood, reaching out to grab Atlas by the shirt and pull him into an embrace. Atlas wrapped his arms around Jack, both of them still smiling. Jack buried his face in Atlas’s shoulder, laughing softly. He’d never felt so relieved, or so happy. He was free.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First kisses don't always go as planned.

Jack was free. With that knowledge came a whole flood of emotions and impulses. He didn’t think, he just let himself act. Before he could stop himself Jack pressed his mouth against Atlas’s. He thought for a moment that Atlas was kissing him back and everything seemed perfect. Then everything wasn’t. 

Atas pulled away like Jack’s mouth burned him. Jack took a step back. Had he done something wrong? He’d been so sure this was okay. He’d thought Atlas-. He stopped himself before he could finish the thought. 

“Jack,” Atlas sounded taken aback. “That’s not- We can’t-” He brought a hand to his temple. “Look, that’s a bad idea. We shouldn’t- ugh!” He let out a grunt of frustration and gestured with his hands in tense agitation. Internally Atlas felt like screaming. He would’ve loved nothing more than to kiss Jack again but Tenenbaum’s words were still fresh in his mind. He really couldn’t know if this was what Jack wanted. It seemed like it was, but like Tenenbaum had said, Jack would do anything to make him happy. It was an impossible situation and he honestly felt like he could cry.

Jack definitely felt like he could cry. He’d really thought that kissing was okay. He’d thought Atlas liked him, in a kissing sort of way. Apparently he’d been wrong. Hesitantly, he forced himself to meet Atlas’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” His voice was barely even a whisper. He brought his arms to his chest, unconsciously curling in on himself. “I’m sorry.” He wasn’t sure what else to say.

“No!” Atlas was quick to butt in but cursed himself when Jack flinched. “No. Don’t be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong. If anything I should be sorry. Look,” He ran a hand over his face. “It’s just not a good idea. I’m sorry.” Jack nodded. He understood. Atlas had had a family. Why would he want Jack? 

There was a long stretch of awkward silence. Neither knew what to say. They were saved by Tenenbaum. She briskly approached the two, taking only a partial moment to note the stiffness of the room. 

“I presume from your shouts that the conditioning is undone?” Both Jack and Atlas quickly swiveled to look at her, grateful for the interruption. Tenenbaum waited a moment for a response, raising an eyebrow as both men remained silent. Finally Jack nodded. 

“Thank you.” Jack was surprised he was able to talk at the moment, but he wasn’t going to question it. Atlas nodded in agreement with Jack.

“Yes. Thank you.” He tried express just how grateful he was but wasn’t sure simply saying ‘thank you’ got the message across.

Tenenbaum looked between the two of them. “You may stay here as long as you would like. All I would ask is that you help us find food. My little ones eat enough that I cannot keep you both fed as well.” 

Atlas laughed. “Children will do that. Patrick always-” He stopped and shook his head. “Nevermind.” 

Jack looked like he wanted to squeeze Atlas’s hand, to reassure him in some way, but he wasn’t sure it was okay anymore. He spoke up quietly instead. “Let’s go home. I want to see Mcgregor.” 

Atlas nodded. “Let’s go home.” Jack risked catching Atlas’s eye. Atlas gave him a small smile. He looked sad and tired again. Jack hated seeing him like that. Was it his fault? He’d really messed up. Jack looked back at the floor. “Well, thank you, again.” Atlas tried one last time to express how important Tenenbaum’s help had been. She just nodded. 

“Take care of each other” She raised a hand in farewell as the two men headed towards the door. Atlas picked his bag up on the way out. Jack waved to some of the little sisters who watched them leave. 

One little girl, with blond hair and a dark blue dress, ran up to grab his hand before they left. She had wide, frightened eyes and tried to tug Jack a few steps away. He walked where she tugged him, letting himself be pulled a few feet back into the safehouse. He glanced backwards to see Atlas watching, just as curious as he was.

“Don’t go with the bad man.” The little girl whispered to him. “He’s bad, he hurts people. He killed the nice lady!” She seemed frantic, but kept her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. 

Jack frowned. “Who’s the bad man? Do you mean Atlas?” He kept his voice at the same level as the little girl. She nodded. “He’s not a bad man.” Jack tried to explain. “The bad man just pretended to be him for a while. To trick people.” The girl nodded but still looked hesitant.

“What if he’s tricking people again? The bad man hurt us!” She seemed terrified. 

“I promise he’s not the bad man.” Jack kept trying to reassure her. “He actually saved me from the bad man. He’s my friend.” The little girl seemed satisfied. She released Jack’s hand and stepped back, looking at Atlas.

“Thank you for saving Mr. Jack!” She smiled at Atlas as Jack straightened back up and rejoined him. “Bye!” Several other of the girls joined her in waving to them as they left. Jack waved back and Atlas smiled. After another few steps the door closed behind them and they were on their way.

The first leg of the journey was spent in silence. They weren’t attacked but Jack began to find himself longing for a fight. Anything to break the deafening quiet. They reached the bathysphere with no encounters and climbed inside. Then they both stood, unsure of where to sit. 

Jack was a mess. Was it okay to sit next to Atlas? Did he need to sit on the other side of the sphere from him? He didn’t know what to do. After a painful minute of deliberation that wasn’t longer than a few seconds he sat down about a third of the way in from the edge of the padded seat. Atlas sat quickly after him, giving Jack a few feet of space. They sat in silence as the bathysphere pulled away and began bringing them home. 

A few minutes passed before Atlas cleared his throat. “We should probably talk.” He looked hesitantly at Jack. “I mean, you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I can do most of the talking. You don’t need to make yourself uncomfortable.” He was rambling now and it was such a familiar occurrence that Jack couldn’t help but laugh. Atlas stopped talking for a moment to look at Jack. “Well at least I’ve got you laughing again. That’s something.” He was quiet for another moment and then he reached his hand out to Jack. “I understand if it’s not alright anymore, but I’d like to still sit with you.”

Jack felt his face split into an enormous grin. He took Atlas’s hand and the two of them scooted along the seat until they were flush against each other. Jack relaxed and rested his head on Atlas’s shoulder. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to kiss Atlas, but he was beyond happy that they could still do this. The two of them sat together until the bathysphere docked. Even then they hesitated before pulling apart, but eventually they had to stand and leave the bathysphere. 

They exited onto familiar streets and began to make their way back to home. Jack slid his hand into Atlas’s as they walked. Everything was okay now. Things were back to normal, but better. He couldn’t be controlled anymore. He didn’t have to be afraid. Not that he wasn’t still afraid. He was doing much better but the thought of potentially having to face Fontaine was still terrifying. Luckily, he didn’t need to face Fontaine. They just had to fix the bathysphere and they were home free. 

Arriving back home they were greeted with excited barking. Mcgregor was thrilled to have his humans back home. Jack laughed and knelt to pet him while Atlas moved further inside to set his gun down. Mcgregor licked Jack’s face, tail wagging a mile a minute. After a few moments Jack decided he’d had enough dog breath and gently moved Mcgregor off him so he could stand. 

Jack found Atlas sitting on the worn down living room couch. He sat next to him. “Where will we live?” Jack asked. “When we escape?” 

Atlas turned to look at him. “Wherever we want.” He answered. He stretched an arm in front of them, gesturing at an unseen horizon. “We’ll find someplace perfect. Lots of room for Mcgregor to run and nowhere near the damn ocean. I’ll find a well paying job, I’m a heavy lifter. You can get a job if you want, or you could stay with Mcgregor.” Atlas laughed a little. “Be a housewife if you like.” 

Jack’s face heated but he couldn’t deny that that sounded lovely. “We could live on a farm!” He still had faint memories of his fake life. He sort of missed the farm he’d never lived on. “I could grow things for us to eat.” Now he was getting excited. “Could we afford a two bedroom house?” 

Atlas felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart. “Sure. Sure we could do that.” It was selfish of him to expect Jack to keep sharing a bed with him once they didn’t have to, especially after he’d told Jack they shouldn’t be kissing. Still, the rejection hurt. Jack sounded very excited about the prospect of having a second bedroom. He probably wanted more privacy, Atlas tried to tell himself. It wasn’t something he should take personally. He was dimly aware Jack had asked him something and just nodded, mechanically agreeing.

Jack was still thinking about the dream home they’d live in. He had to be really excited to be talking this much. “And trees! And a flower garden! The girls could help take care of it!” Wait, Atlas frowned, the girls? What girls? He held up a hand to stop Jack.

“What girls?” 

“The little sisters. Atlas have you been listening to me?” Jack gave him a slightly pouting look.

“I must have been distracted.” It wasn’t a lie. 

“I asked if we could take care of some of the little sisters. Tenenbaum can’t take care of all of them by herself. I thought if we could afford two bedrooms we could let some of them stay with us.” Jack sounded hesitant now, like he was worried Atlas would disapprove of the idea. 

“Alright.” Atlas shrugged. “Why not?” He might have had some misgivings about the idea but he was so relieved Jack still wanted them to share a bedroom that he honestly didn’t care. They could have as many little girls as Jack wanted. 

Jack was beaming now. “Really?” He grabbed Atlas’s hand in excitement. “It’ll be so much fun! We’ll be like a family.” 

Oh. Atlas was suddenly hit with the realization of why Jack wanted to have kids live with them. He wanted a family. He’d never had a family, not really. At least not from what he’d told Atlas. Atlas squeezed Jack’s hand. “We’ll be a perfect family.” 

The rest of the night was spent fantasizing about what it would be like once they lived on the surface. The more they spoke the more certain they became that they would escape together. Nothing would get in the way of that. They both stayed up later than was wise and collapsed together into bed. Jack tucked himself snug against Atlas and Atlas put an arm around Jack to keep him close. Everything was peaceful, even when Mcgregor jumped onto the bed and shook the whole thing. 

They might have spent the whole night sleeping peacefully, but something woke Jack. At first he wasn’t sure what it was. He was a light sleeper so it was possible something as small as Mcgregor jumping off the bed had woken him. A quick glance confirmed that Mcgregor was still asleep on the foot of the bed. He was about to shrug it off and go back to sleep when he heard a sound. A knocking sound. On the front door.

Jack slid his feet off the bed, wincing at the cold floor. He stood, careful to make no noise. It was unlikely that a splicer had decided to knock before trying to murder them, but caution was still a good idea. He softly padded to the front door, grabbing Atlas’s gun from the kitchen table. 

When he reached the door Jack stopped, holding as still as he could. Straining his ears he could hear someone breathing heavily on the other side of the door. It wasn’t the manic breath of splicers, it didn’t even sound like an adult. There was another quick knock on the door and Jack could swear he heard whoever it was sniffle. Making up his mind Jack quickly threw the door open, pointing the gun ahead of him. 

The first thing Jack saw was the big pair of eyes. They were terrified eyes. Taking in the rest of the figure Jack realised he recognized the little girl crouched outside the door. It was the little sister from earlier. The blond one who called Atlas the bad man. Jack knelt down to her level. He was going to ask if she was alright but before he could get the words out she was rushing past him inside. She backed as far into the kitchen as she could before sitting with her legs up in front of her and her back to a cupboard. 

Jack shut the door and slowly approached the girl. “You’re safe now.” He wanted to ask her a lot of questions but the most important thing was to calm her down. “You’re completely safe here. Can you tell me your name?” 

“Sally.” The girl, Sally, answered softly. Jack could tell just from her voice that she’d been screaming. Her throat sounded raw. 

“Sally?” Jack continued moving until he was crouched in front of her. “Sally can you tell me what’s wrong?” 

Sally began tearing up, although from the redness around her eyes Jack could tell this wasn’t her first time crying tonight. “It’s the bad man.” She sniffled and wiped her nose with her arm. “The bad man took Mama Tenenbaum. He took her and he took Linda and Masha and Annie and everyone!” She was shaking. “The bad man took everyone.” Sally wiped her eyes and looked up at Jack. “You have to stop him. You have to kill the bad man.” 

Jack reached slowly forward and put his hands on Sally’s shoulders. “Sally listen. I will save them. Me and Atlas together. We can stop him.” He hoped he sounded more sure than he sounded. He’d lost to Fontaine once before, but they’d never actually fought. Fontaine had made sure Jack couldn’t lift a finger against him. This time though, this time it would be different. 

Jack let go of Sally and stood, walking back to the bedroom. He shook Atlas by the shoulder, mouth set in a grim line. Atlas slowly woke, groggy and blinking. He looked up at Jack.

“What’s the matter?”

Jack stood back, looking more somber than Atlas had ever seen him. “We’re going to kill Fontaine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me actually doing writing stuff. Two chapters in one month! Anyway I've been wanting to add Sally to this for a while because I love her and thought it was really sweet that she was one of the sisters Jack adopted. So I'm really excited I finally got to her. Also yes, the "nice lady" is Elizabeth. The other exciting thing was several people speculating on whether Fontaine would show up or not. I couldn't answer that without spoiling things but now I can because yes, he's totally in the fic. Thanks so much for sticking with me! Let me know what you like and what you don't, any and all feedback is great.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're going to kill Fontaine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really short and I'm sorry. It barely advances the plot but I wanted to at least post something. I want everything that goes down with Fontaine to be one chapter so this is all I can post right now. Let me know what you think.

“We’re going to kill Fontaine.” Jack’s hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his face unreadable. 

Atlas was awake in an instant. “What? Jack What’s happened?” He sat up quickly. Something was wrong if Jack suddenly wanted to fight Fontaine. Something was very wrong. “What happened?” Jack was staring at him, not speaking. It seemed like he’d suddenly frozen up from stress. Atlas stood and put a hand on his shoulder. “Talk to me Jacky. What’s going on?” 

Jack shook himself, seeming to realize where he was again. “We have to kill Fontaine.” The firm voice from earlier was gone. Now Jack just sounded unsure. He looked down at Atlas, seeming to search his face for answers. Atlas realized Jack was shaking. He took him by the shoulder and helped Jack sit on the bed. 

“Tell me what’s happened.” It was then that he saw Sally, staring at him from across the room. “Hello? Who are you?” He was starting to piece together an answer, and he didn’t like it. If a little sister was here then something bad must have happened to make her run away from the safe house. It made sense she would’ve come to Jack for help. Atlas looked at Jack, sitting next to him. “Jack what happened?” 

Jack finally spoke again. From his hunched position he directed his voice to the mattress. “Fontaine took Tenenbaum.” He didn’t need to say anything else. Atlas could piece the rest together. 

“The little girl came for help? She told you what happened?” He was mostly saying things out loud to solidify them for himself. It was fairly obvious that was what had happened. Still, Jack nodded and Atlas found himself nodding back. The truth of the situation settling over both of them. 

“What do we do?” Jack’s voice was still small. He sounded terrified again. Atlas wasn’t sure what to say. He couldn’t promise things would be okay. If they went up against Fontaine they’d probably both die. If they didn’t then Tenenbaum and all the little sisters would certainly die. They might already be dead, Atlas realized. They didn’t know how long it had been. 

Atlas squeezed Jack’s shoulder before he spoke. “I think that’s up to you. If you want to go after Fontaine,” He hesitated, a sudden spike of fear in his gut causing him to pause. Going after Fontaine was a death sentence. Still, he wouldn’t really be living up to his name if he let Jack go alone. He was the people’s man. He stood up for the little guy. That’s what his whole damn war had been based on. The war might be over but he was still alive. He could still help. “If you go after Fontaine I’ll be right behind you.” 

He let out a breath. “If you want to stay hidden, there’s no shame there either. Fontaine has all the Adam. He controls the splicers, the security, hell, he might even have some of the big daddies on his side. Realistically, I’m not sure we can beat him, even if the vita chambers work for you. We’ll be lucky to even get close to him before we’re killed.” 

Jack shook his head. “It’s a trap. We’ll get there. He wants us there. He wants me.” Jack was back to sounding grim. “He’ll let us get to him, and then we can kill him.” 

“You think he’s doing this to get to you?” 

Jack nodded. “He couldn’t find us, but he found Tenenbaum somehow. He knows I”ll come after them. It’s a trap, but we don’t have a choice.” 

Atlas felt his face grow pale as horror grew in his chest. “It’s my fault.” He felt like shouting but his voice remained eerily calm. “It’s my fault he found them.” Jack tilted his head, clearly not understanding. “Jack I led them right to the front door. When the splicers attacked me I thought it was strange they left me alive, but I’ve never been one to question providence. I’m such an idiot I should’ve known!” He cursed and tugged his hair. “I left a trail they could follow. I bled the whole way to the door and passed out. Anyone could’ve followed me. It’s my fault.” 

Jack was staring at Atlas in horror. He didn’t look angry, just alarmed. “We need to go. Now.” Jack stood, looking determined again. Atlas could’ve almost believed he was completely calm but his fists were shaking slightly. Sally ran to Jack when he stood, grabbing at his sleeve. 

“Are you going to kill the bad man?” She looked up with huge eyes but she didn’t seemed scared. Jack looked down at her. 

“We’re going to kill the bad man. You stay with Mcgregor. Keep him safe.” Sally nodded in affirmation. She didn’t seem scared or worried. She seemed totally confident that Jack would do it, that he would kill Fontaine. Jack wished he had her confidence, he could still feel the tremor in his fists.

Atlas approached behind him and gave his shoulder another squeeze. “Let’s go.” Together the two of them moved through the little house. They grabbed all the ammo they could carry. Atlas had a knife he stuck in his belt. There were three pistols in the house and no other guns. Jack would’ve liked his shotgun back, especially seeing as they had ammo for it. They both grabbed a pistol and Jack grabbed the spare just in case they needed it. They grabbed only a days worth of food. They weren’t likely to need more. 

They paused in the doorway, each man taking a breath before stepping through. Jack turned to wave goodbye to Sally. She stood inside with her thumb in her mouth and her free hand on Mcgregor. Atlas turned as well and was hit with a strong sense that he would never be coming back. Before he could change his mind he squeezed his eyes shut and turned away. Jack took his hand and together they walked towards the bathysphere and Fontaine. One way or another, Atlas thought, this was it. It would all be over soon. 

Atlas was the first to step into the bathysphere. Jack hesitated outside, looking at the ground. “Are you ready?” Atlas didn’t want to rush him but every second spent was a second Tenenbaum and the girls were in danger. 

“No.” Jack didn’t sound scared, just determined, despite the fact that he was telling Atlas he wasn’t ready. Atlas was about to ask what was wrong when Jack bent down and picked something up. He turned to face Atlas and the bathysphere, and Atlas felt completely awestruck. 

Jack stood framed in the doorway of the bathysphere, illuminated from behind. His left hand sparked blue and lit up his face while his right hand was closed tight around a heavy looking wrench. He met Atlas’s eyes as he stepped into the bathysphere. “Now I’m ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've wanted to get Jack a wrench back since he started fighting. I feel like it kinda represents his final step in healing and being ready to face Fontaine. The ending to this feels kinda cheesy but I've known how it was gonna go for monthes so I'm really excited I finally got to write it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big boss fight. Jack and Atlas finally take on Fontaine, but there can't be victory without sacrifice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GRAPHIC VIOLENCE. I know there have been fight scenes in this fic before but this one gets a lot more graphic than the others. Other than that, enjoy. I know this took a while to post but action scenes are super hard to write. Thankfully I think this is the last one of those in this fic! Were in the end game now. As allways, feedback is super appreciated.

Jack and Atlas sat side by side in the bathysphere. Neither of them spoke. The silence was oppressive but neither of them were willing to be the first to break it. The ocean traveled by outside as they sat. Finally Atlas couldn’t take it anymore and cleared his throat. 

“So, we might both die.” He winced slightly, that was not how he’d meant to start this conversation. “I mean, I hope we don’t, but it’s a possibility, and if I die, I don’t want to be kicking myself for things I didn’t do.” Jack nodded silently, not sure where Atlas was going with this. Atlas continued, “If I die, then Tenenbaum can’t kill me. And if we survive, then she can’t kill me because we’ll have saved her life and it would be very ungrateful of her.” Jack nodded again, face crinkling as he tried to figure out what Atlas was getting at.  
“Look, the point is-” Atlas cut himself off and leaned forward to kiss Jack. Jack froze up, realizing that Atlas kissing him and that he had no idea what to do. Was he supposed to kiss him back? Hadn’t Atlas said this was something they shouldn’t do? Had he changed his mind? Was this just because they might die? Did it mean anything? 

Jack was too caught up in his thoughts to reach a decision before Atlas pulled away. Jack blinked and tried to will his brain to catch up with what was happening. He settled for staring blankly at Atlas, waiting for an explanation. Atlas looked slightly embarrassed. 

“Okay, look. I know I said this is something we shouldn’t do.” Jack nodded. “And I guess this makes me a bit of a hypocrite.” Jack shrugged this time. “The thing is- I mean- I liked kissing you. It’s… something I’d like to do, I guess.” He sounded very uncertain about his words. “It’s just-” He groaned and dragged his hands across his face. “Tenenbaum warned me that you really care about me. That you’d do anything to, I don’t know, stay in my favor. That if you thought I wanted something you’d do it. The point is she said there wasn’t a way for me to know if doing something like kissing was a thing you wanted, or a thing you thought I wanted.” Atlas ended his long winded explanation and looked at Jack to see if he understood.

Jack stayed silent for a moment, processing. He tilted his head slightly and spoke. “You think, I don’t want to kiss you?” He genuinely wasn’t sure. When he’d kissed Atlas he’d thought it was the right thing to do, he’d wanted to do it. Then Atlas had said it was the wrong thing to do, and Jack had been upset. Now Atlas was saying it was okay, so long as Jack wanted to do it? Kissing came with a lot of confusing rules. 

“Do you want to kiss me?” Atlas felt nearly as lost as Jack. He’d already figured out that he was probably in love with Jack, even if he wasn’t quite ready to admit it, but did Jack feel the same way? It was confusing, and the last thing he wanted to do was pressure Jack into anything he felt uncomfortable with. Then again, Jack been the one to kiss him originally. 

Jack nodded. “I do. At least, I did?” He shook his head to clear it. “Are you saying it’s an okay thing to do?” He paused for a moment. “I thought it was okay when I did it, but you said it wasn’t. Now it’s okay again and I’m confused but I think I understand.” Atlas opened his mouth but Jack held up a finger, indicating that he wasn’t done. “Tenenbaum told you it wasn’t okay. So you told me it wasn’t okay. But it’s okay with you and it’s okay with me, so it is okay.” He looked up. “Am I right?”

Atlas nodded. “Yeah that’s pretty much right. Wait. You want to kiss me?” He sounded incredibly hopeful and Jack couldn’t help smiling. He nodded.

“I want to kiss you.” That was one thing Jack was confident about. “I want-” The bathysphere docked, silencing both of them again. They exchanged glances, trying to silently finish the conversation as quickly as possible. Jack sucked in a breath and broke eye contact, standing and heading for the door. He took a step out and stopped. “Kiss me again.” He kept his eyes straight ahead. “When it’s done. Will you kiss me again?” 

Atlas climbed out of the sphere and stood next to Jack. He didn’t say anything, just took Jack’s hand and nodded. Without another word they stepped forward into whatever the end held for them. 

Fontaines headquarters weren’t quite as fancy as Jack had imagined them to be. He’d only gotten to see a tiny portion of them while a prisoner. He and Atlas were walking down a long, plain hallway. There was no rich carpeting or fancy lighting. Just dark wood floors. Stil, it was better than the hallway to Ryan had been. Jack appreciated the lack of strung up corpses. 

There was a door up ahead and no other exits besides the way they’d come. Jack could feel anxiety churning in his gut. He really didn’t want to do this. He felt like he might puke, or break down crying. He wasn’t safe here!

Before Jack could be completely overwhelmed by his thoughts he felt Atlas squeeze his hand. Jack looked to his side, wondering how Atlas was holding up. Atlas stared straight ahead, not seeming to realize he was squeezing Jack’s hand. His jaw was set tight and he seemed stiff. Jack gathered that Atlas was just as nervous as him, if not more. 

They walked further down the hall. By the time they reached the door Atlas’s grip on Jack was bordering on painful. He didn’t complain though. Whatever helped Atlas hold onto being calm was fine. The door slid open into a bigger room filled with chairs and tables. It would have looked almost cozy if it weren’t for the two splicers waiting for them. 

Both splicers wore rabbit masks and Jack grimaced, feeling horribly reminded of the lunacy that was Sander Cohen. Atlas immediately went for his gun but the splicers made no move to attack them. Instead they gestured for Atlas and Jack to step into the room. 

Atlas kept his gun up and looked ready to fire but Jack took a step forward. He knew it might be a trap, but it didn’t seem like one. He felt like Fontaine wouldn’t do something like that. Sure, he wasn’t above lying and cheating and tricking people, but Jack had a sense that Fontaine would want to be the one to kill them. He wouldn’t let two faceless splicers take that honor. 

Atlas hesitated a moment before following Jack’s lead. As Jack had suspected the two splicers simply closed the door behind them and lead both of them to a door in the left wall of the room. The door opened automatically and again the splicers ushered them through. They were met with another hallway, this one much grander than the first. 

There was a red carpet stretched across the length of the hall. It had dark spots caused by water damage and a few worn down patches but it was as nice as anything in Rapture could be. One side of the hall was completely glass and looked out into the ocean. Jack had to wonder what this place had been before Fontaine repurposed it. 

“Posh bastard.” Atlas grumbled quietly but Jack still heard him. He followed Atlas’s gaze and nearly yelped at the towering white beast at the end of the hall. His grip on Atlas’s hand must have tightened because he heard Atlas let out a pained hiss. He dropped his hand quickly, not taking his eyes off of whatever was standing at the end of the hall. 

“It’s dead Jack.” Atlas was looking between Jack and the creature, clearly concerned. “It’s a stuffed polar bear, that’s all. I remember the bastard used to keep it in his apartment, guess it was important enough for him to move it here.” Atlas was glaring, clearly not enjoying the display of wealth. “Let’s keep moving.” 

Of course, moving meant moving closer to the polar bear. Jack didn’t really want to go near it and was about to suggest maybe there was an alternate way they could go when it occurred to him how silly it was to be willing to face Fontaine but to be afraid of the animal at the end of the hall. He almost laughed at himself, and he walked next to Atlas down the hall.

There was a door on either side of the bear but the splicers hadn’t followed them down the hall so there was no choice but to pick a door and hope for the best. After a moment of consideration Jack shrugged and walked to the door on the right, glancing back at Atlas to make sure his choice was okay. Atlas just shrugged and walked up behind Jack, ready to face whatever else was waiting for them. 

It turned out it wouldn’t have mattered if they’d gone through the other door as both of them led into the same room. It was dark, the only light shining just enough to show both the doors and the bit of stone floor connecting them. Jack didn’t like it, and from the looks of it, neither did Atlas. Unfortunately there was no choice but to continue, so Jack took a step into the dark. 

“Stay close.” He knew he didn’t really need to say it, that Atlas would stick with him no matter what, but it still felt better to say it out loud. A few steps forward and more lights flicked on. Both men had to squeeze their eyes shut for a moment. When they opened them again the whole room was lit. It was large and stone, with a few windows high up on the walls showing the ocean outside. The room was sparsely decorated, with only a few chairs around the edges along with a three legged table on the floor in the corner. 

The only important part of the room was what immediately caught the attention of both Jack and Atlas. There was what Jack wanted to call a horrifying statue standing tall in the middle of the room. It was a naked muscular man who was ridiculously tall. Jack wanted to ignore it and find the way forward quickly. The only problem with that was that the ‘statue’ was clearly breathing. “What in the name of God?” Atlas sounded as horrified and confused as Jack felt. 

Any doubt about who the man in front of them was was instantly erased when he spoke. Aside from a faint echoing quality it was a voice Jack recognized very well. One he still heard sometimes when he tried to sleep. One he could never forget. “Welcome back kid.” It was Fontaine. “Now, before you raise that arm of yours, there’s a few things you should know. I have all the Adam. I have all the power. I have an army, and you, kid? You’ve got nothing. You don’t even have your precious vita chambers anymore. This is it kid. Raise a hand against me and it’s all over.” 

Jack wanted to just shoot him. To set him on fire and shoot electricity through him and pummel him to death. He was surprised that all he wanted to was hurt Fontaine, not run or scream or cry. Surprisingly he didn’t feel any fear at all. Either he would die or Fontaine would. It seemed fairly simple. “Where are Tenenbaum and the girls?” His voice didn’t waver. He felt more sure of himself than he had in a long time. 

Fontaine laughed. “So you’re finally done playing mute.” It wasn’t a question so much as a jab against Jack. “And you’re still worried about that damn mother goose. I would worry more about yourself now, kid. You and your new friend.” He gestured at Atlas and Jack immediately stepped forward, putting himself between the two. 

“Where are they?” Atlas was the one to speak now. Sounding furious as he put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. A small reminder that he wasn’t alone. 

Fontaine just laughed, ignoring Atlas’s question. “How ‘bout we make a deal kid? You can come back under my care and I’ll let mother goose and her little freaks go. The ones that are still alive, at least.” Jack felt his heart break. Had Fontaine already started killing the sisters? They didn’t even have Adam any more. They were just kids!

“Jack, whatever he offers don’t do it.” Atlas spoke softly so only Jack could hear. “We can take him. Even if he’s disconnected you from the chambers or something, we’ve got a chance.” Jack really wanted to believe Atlas, but Fontaine was huge and had clearly been using a lot of Adam. There was no way they could win this, no chance in hell. Still, he’d rather die than go back to Fontaine. Even if it meant Tenenbaum might die, he wanted to be selfish. He didn’t want to just give himself up.

“We aren’t here to make a deal!” Jack balled his fists, ready for a fight to break out. Unfortunately he wasn’t as ready as he’d thought. Fontaine, apparently through with talking, sent a blast of fire at Jack and Atlas. The explosion sent them both flying into the wall. Jack snapped up immediately. This was it. The fight had finally begun. 

He grabbed his wrench from where it had fallen and charged Fontaine. Another blast of fire was thrown at him but this time Jack was ready, leaping out of the way and continuing forward. He heard a gun fire from behind and dimly realised Atlas must have gotten up alright. Good. He reached Fontaine only to be clobbered by an enormous fist, forced back but managing to stay on his feet. He charged forward as Fontaine recovered from swinging at Jack and landed a solid blow with his wrench on Fontaine’s rib cage.

There were more gunshots and Fontaine leapt away from Jack. His jumping was impressive, clearly something he’d spliced. Jack aimed his hand at Fontaine and fired a bolt of electricity from his hand as Fontaine landed. The giant seized up and shook, letting Jack charge in a get several good swings in until Fontaine regained control and backhanded Jack across the room. 

Atlas managed to get a headshot on Fontaine while he was shocked but stopped shooting to run to Jack after he was sent flying. Jack was up and on his feet in an instant, this time sending a swarm of bees after Fontaine. Atlas reached him and the two turned together to face Fontaine. 

The bees served as a good distraction. Jack pulled his own gun out and began firing at Fontaine. Atlas followed his lead, unloading into the hulking man. Fontaine then ignored the bees in favor of sending a stream of sharp ice across the floor. Jack pushed Atlas out of the way and let himself be knocked back and scraped. Atlas recovered his balance and shot at Fontaine again, dodging a second ice attack. 

The fight became a blur of dodging and exchanging blows. Jack shot when he was far away and swung when he was close. Atlas stayed on the edges and fired into Fontaine. Jack had no idea if anything they were doing was having an effect. Fontaine would grunt in pain and occasionally swore but he looked the same as he had when the fight started. 

Jack on the other hand was feeling the effects of the fight. He was bleeding, and it hurt to put too much weight on his left leg. He knew he’d be covered in bruises if he survived the next few hours. Atlas was doing better than Jack since he’d been staying too far away for Fontaine to hit him. He was still a little singed from blasts of fire and had a couple of scrapes. Jack was more than willing to take the brunt of the damage. He was a lot stronger than Atlas and could take a lot more. 

Jack was about to charge Fontaine again when Fontaine changed tactics. He’d been focusing his assault on Jack, as Jack had been the one close to him, but now he turned. Jack watched in horror as Fontaine charged Atlas, fist igniting as he went. Atlas didn’t have time to move out of the way before he was sent flying into the wall. Jack screamed as he watched Atlas ragdoll through the air. He ran forward and saw Atlas land, and not get up. 

Jack saw red. He’d been angry before. He’d been angry when he learned what was done to the little sisters. He’d been angry when he’d learned the bloody history of Rapture. He’d been angry when he’d learned about what had been done to him. He’d been angry when Fontaine had revealed his betrayal. None of that compared to what he felt now. 

Jack imagined this was what the splicers felt like when they’d been enraged. He wanted to tear Fontaine apart with his bare hands. He stared at Atlas’s unmoving body and felt another cry wrench its way out of his throat. He screamed and tore towards Fontaine. For the first time, Jack felt fully aware that he was a weapon designed to kill. He swung at Fontaine, wrench meeting head with a horrible squelch. 

Jack pummeled Fontaine, uncaring of any damage he might be taking. All he knew was that he was going to keep hitting Fontaine until one of them stopped moving. He felt Fontaine hit him with a flaming fist, it didn’t matter. He was thrown across the room, it didn’t matter, he was back on his feet and back on Fontaine. All Jack could hear was a horrible pounding in his ears. He screamed as he brought his arms down again and again, and again. Swinging his wrench into Fontaine’s face, his chest, his skull. 

Fontaine was making noise now. He was reacting. He was in pain. Good. Jack hit him again and again. Fontaine hit him and he just got back up. He could feel blood on his face, running into his eyes and mouth. It didn’t matter. He swung over and over. He didn’t know which of them was screaming at this point, maybe it was both of them, it didn’t matter. 

Jack caught Fontaine in the chest again and he fell to his knees. Jack seized the opportunity, dealing as many blows to his head as he could. Fontaine fell to the ground and Jack climbed on top of him. He knelt, keeping one knee pressed into Fontaine’s windpipe as he brought his wrench down on Fontaine’s face. Fontaine choked out something, his voice garbled by blood and Jack’s knee. Jack paused. He knew it was foolish but he wanted to hear what Fontaine had to say. 

Jack carefully raised his knee. Not too much, but enough that Fontaine could speak. Jack realised he was laughing. Fontaine laughed and laughed, stopping only to choke on his own blood for a moment. Finally, he spoke. 

“Nice try kid, but it’s gonna take more than that to get rid of me. I have all the Adam, all the power. You think all it’ll take to kill me is knocking me down with a wrench? I’ll just heal whatever you do to me.” Fontaine finished, giving Jack a smug look. Jack realised he was right. The gashes he’d managed to put on Fontaine were already disappearing. There wasn’t any damage he could do that Fontaine couldn’t heal.

Jack shut his eyes as Fontaine started laughing again. “You think hurting me will bring back your pal Atlas?” Fontaine switched accents, using Atlas’s voice to taunt Jack. “Kill Fontaine, would you kindly. I’m sure it’ll make up for my being dead and it being all your fault.”

Jack screamed. It wasn’t a high pitched scream of fear or frustration. It was animalistic. More roar than scream. Maybe he couldn’t kill Fontaine, but fuck it. Fuck this. He swung his wrench into Fontaine’s face. He aimed for his nose, his eyes, his mouth. Anything that would hurt. Fontaine’s laugh cut off as Jack kept swinging. Blood sprayed into Jack’s eyes, into his open mouth, it didn’t matter. He couldn’t kill Fontaine, and hurting him wouldn’t bring Atlas back, but it sure as hell felt good. 

Jack kept pounding his wrench against Fontaine’s head until he felt something crunch. His wrench was stuck, sticking out of Fontaine’s skull. Jack grabbed it and tugged as hard as he could, momentarily unbalancing himself as he removed it. He swung again, aiming for the same spot. He was rewarded with another crunch as more of Fontaine’s skull gave way. Jack had a sudden thought. Could Fontaine regenerate if none of his brain was left to fix?

Fontaine seemed to have had a similar thought as he started struggling under Jack. Fontaine was much bigger, and probably stronger when he wasn’t half dead and waiting to heal, but right now he was in no condition to move Jack. Jack grinned as he watched something close to fear come into Fontaine’s eyes, at least, it was in the eye that wasn’t swollen shut. Sitting on top of Fontaine while he hurt him. While he made Fontaine afraid, was an enormous power trip. 

Jack swung again, his aim was a little off but he felt something break beneath his wrench. The next strike did better, landing in the puddle of gore on Fontaine’s head and breaking off another chunk of skull. There was now a considerable hole in Fontaine’s head with blood and bits sitting in it. It was disgusting, and Jack wanted to make it bigger. He swung three times in succession, widening the hole and bringing the wrench down on the mass inside. Fontaine screamed, angry and hurt. Jack just swung again. 

Fontaine had lost nearly a third of his head to Jack’s pulverizing. Jack laughed as he brought his wrench down, splattering brain matter into the air and across the floor. It felt so good to be able to do this that he almost forgot what had brought him to this. Atlas was dead. Jack screamed again, all laughter suddenly gone. 

He swung his wrench down as he thought about Atlas, aiming in the center of Fontaine’s head. The crunch he got only fueled him on. He swung again, thinking of nights spent feeling safe sharing a bed. Another crunch and he raised his wrench, thinking about stupid jokes Atlas made just to see Jack smile. He brought the wrench down over and over as memories of Atlas played behind his eyes. Atlas who never hurt him. Atlas who wouldn’t ever touch him without permission. Atlas who would stay up all night just to calm Jack from a bad dream. Atlas who knew when to try and joke so Jack would smile and when to just hug him and let Jack cry. Atlas who was the only person Jack had ever had who hadn’t hurt him. Atlas, who was gone.

Jack kept slamming his wrench down. He had no idea how long he kept splintering Fontaine’s skull open but eventually he realised he was bring his wrench down onto the blood covered floor. There was nothing left of Fontaine that could be called a head. Jack screamed and brought his wrench down a final time before dropping it. He stared at the mess of Fontaine’s corpse. 

After a moment Jack found himself blinking back tears. Then there were too many tears to keep away and Jack just gave up and let himself cry. He felt a sob work its way up in his throat. He let it out and suddenly the floodgates were open. Jack broke down. It was over. Fontaine was dead and he was safe and it was over. Jack would have traded all of it if it meant Atlas would still be alive. 

Jack tried to calm down. He knew his face was probably blotchy and red under the blood. He didn’t care. Eventually he’d need to find a place to get clean. Not back at home though. He couldn’t go back there. Not now that Atlas was, gone. He started crying all over again at the thought. 

It was strange mix of emotions. He was heartbroken, yes, but also relieved. Everything was over now. They could take control of the city again and use a working bathysphere to escape. They being him, Tenenbaum, and the little sisters. He sniffled and wiped his arm over his face. His sleeve came away red and sticky and he grimaced. 

As Jack calmed down he became slowly aware of his injuries. Everything hurt and he was exhausted. All Jack wanted was to lay down and rest. He glanced around the room. It seemed relatively safe and he had definitely earned the right to sleep. He slowly moved off of Fontaine’s corpse and into a relatively clean part of the room. Then he lay down, using his arms as a pillow. He shut his eyes and passed out almost immediately.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated, and let me know what you guys would like to see later. I have a vague idea of where this going but would love suggestions. Follow me on Tumblr at prblynotaduck


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